Core Java: Basics of Java Interview Questions

1) What is Java?
Java is the high-level, object-oriented, robust, secure programming language, platform-independent, high
performance, Multithreaded, and portable programming language. It was developed by James Gosling in June
1991. It can also be known as the platform as it provides its own JRE and API.

2) What are the differences between C++ and Java?

The differences between C++ and Java are given in the following table.

Comparison Index C++ Java

Platform-independent C++ is platform-dependent. Java is platform-independent.

Mainly used for C++ is mainly used for system Java is mainly used for
programming. application programming. It is
widely used in window, web-
based, enterprise and mobile
applications.

Design Goal C++ was designed for systems Java was designed and created
and applications programming. as an interpreter for printing
It was an extension of C systems but later extended as a
programming language. support network computing. It
was designed with a goal of
being easy to use and accessible
to a broader audience.

Goto C++ supports the goto Java doesn't support the goto
statement. statement.

Multiple inheritance C++ supports multiple Java doesn't support multiple

inheritance. inheritance through class. It can
be achieved by interfaces in java.

Operator Overloading C++ supports operator Java doesn't support operator

overloading. overloading.

Pointers C++ supports pointers. You can Java supports pointer internally.
write pointer program in C++. However, you can't write the
pointer program in java. It
means java has restricted
pointer support in Java.

Compiler and Interpreter C++ uses compiler only. C++ is Java uses compiler and
compiled and run using the interpreter both. Java source
compiler which converts source code is converted into bytecode
code into machine code so, C++ at compilation time. The
is platform dependent. interpreter executes this
bytecode at runtime and
produces output. Java is
interpreted that is why it is
platform independent.

Call by Value and Call by C++ supports both call by value Java supports call by value only.
reference and call by reference. There is no call by reference in
java.

Structure and Union C++ supports structures and Java doesn't support structures
unions. and unions.

Thread Support C++ doesn't have built-in Java has built-in thread support.
support for threads. It relies on
third-party libraries for thread
support.

Documentation comment C++ doesn't support Java supports documentation

documentation comment. comment (/** ... */) to create
documentation for java source
code.

Virtual Keyword C++ supports virtual keyword so Java has no virtual keyword. We
that we can decide whether or can override all non-static
not override a function. methods by default. In other
words, non-static methods are
virtual by default.

unsigned right shift >>> C++ doesn't support >>> Java supports unsigned right
operator. shift >>> operator that fills zero
at the top for the negative
numbers. For positive numbers,
it works same like >> operator.

Inheritance Tree C++ creates a new inheritance Java uses a single inheritance
tree always. tree always because all classes
are the child of Object class in
java. The object class is the root
of the inheritance tree in java.

Hardware C++ is nearer to hardware. Java is not so interactive with

hardware.

Object-oriented C++ is an object-oriented Java is also an object-oriented

language. However, in C language. However, everything
language, single root hierarchy is (except fundamental types) is an
not possible. object in Java. It is a single root
hierarchy as everything gets
derived from java.lang.Object.

3) List the features of Java Programming language.

There are the following features in Java Programming Language.

Simple: Java is easy to learn. The syntax of Java is based on C++ which makes easier to write the
program in it.

Object-Oriented: Java follows the object-oriented paradigm which allows us to maintain our code as
the combination of different type of objects that incorporates both data and behavior.

Portable: Java supports read-once-write-anywhere approach. We can execute the Java program on
every machine. Java program (.java) is converted to bytecode (.class) which can be easily run on
every machine.

Platform Independent: Java is a platform independent programming language. It is different from

other programming languages like C and C++ which needs a platform to be executed. Java comes
with its platform on which its code is executed. Java doesn't depend upon the operating system to
be executed.

Secured: Java is secured because it doesn't use explicit pointers. Java also provides the concept of
ByteCode and Exception handling which makes it more secured.

Robust: Java is a strong programming language as it uses strong memory management. The
concepts like Automatic garbage collection, Exception handling, etc. make it more robust.

Architecture Neutral: Java is architectural neutral as it is not dependent on the architecture. In C,

the size of data types may vary according to the architecture (32 bit or 64 bit) which doesn't exist in
Java.

Interpreted: Java uses the Just-in-time (JIT) interpreter along with the compiler for the program
execution.

High Performance: Java is faster than other traditional interpreted programming languages
because Java bytecode is "close" to native code. It is still a little bit slower than a compiled language
(e.g., C++).

Multithreaded: We can write Java programs that deal with many tasks at once by defining multiple
threads. The main advantage of multi-threading is that it doesn't occupy memory for each thread. It
shares a common memory area. Threads are important for multi-media, Web applications, etc.

Distributed: Java is distributed because it facilitates users to create distributed applications in Java.
RMI and EJB are used for creating distributed applications. This feature of Java makes us able to
access files by calling the methods from any machine on the internet.

Dynamic: Java is a dynamic language. It supports dynamic loading of classes. It means classes are
loaded on demand. It also supports functions from its native languages, i.e., C and C++.

4) What do you understand by Java virtual machine?

Java Virtual Machine is a virtual machine that enables the computer to run the Java program. JVM acts like a
run-time engine which calls the main method present in the Java code. JVM is the specification which must be
implemented in the computer system. The Java code is compiled by JVM to be a Bytecode which is machine
independent and close to the native code.

5) What is the difference between JDK, JRE, and JVM?

JVM
JVM is an acronym for Java Virtual Machine; it is an abstract machine which provides the runtime environment in
which Java bytecode can be executed. It is a specification which specifies the working of Java Virtual Machine. Its
implementation has been provided by Oracle and other companies. Its implementation is known as JRE.

JVMs are available for many hardware and software platforms (so JVM is platform dependent). It is a runtime
instance which is created when we run the Java class. There are three notions of the JVM: specification,
implementation, and instance.

JRE
JRE stands for Java Runtime Environment. It is the implementation of JVM. The Java Runtime Environment is a
set of software tools which are used for developing Java applications. It is used to provide the runtime
environment. It is the implementation of JVM. It physically exists. It contains a set of libraries + other files that JVM
uses at runtime.

JDK
JDK is an acronym for Java Development Kit. It is a software development environment which is used to develop
Java applications and applets. It physically exists. It contains JRE + development tools. JDK is an implementation
of any one of the below given Java Platforms released by Oracle Corporation:

Standard Edition Java Platform

Enterprise Edition Java Platform

Micro Edition Java Platform

More Details.

6) How many types of memory areas are allocated by JVM?

Many types:

1. Class(Method) Area: Class Area stores per-class structures such as the runtime constant pool, field,
method data, and the code for methods.
2. Heap: It is the runtime data area in which the memory is allocated to the objects
3. Stack: Java Stack stores frames. It holds local variables and partial results, and plays a part in method
invocation and return. Each thread has a private JVM stack, created at the same time as the thread. A
new frame is created each time a method is invoked. A frame is destroyed when its method
invocation completes.
4. Program Counter Register: PC (program counter) register contains the address of the Java virtual
machine instruction currently being executed.
5. Native Method Stack: It contains all the native methods used in the application.

More Details.

7) What is JIT compiler?

Just-In-Time(JIT) compiler: It is used to improve the performance. JIT compiles parts of the bytecode that have
similar functionality at the same time, and hence reduces the amount of time needed for compilation. Here the
term “compiler” refers to a translator from the instruction set of a Java virtual machine (JVM) to the instruction
set of a specific CPU.

8) What is the platform?

A platform is the hardware or software environment in which a piece of software is executed. There are two types
of platforms, software-based and hardware-based. Java provides the software-based platform.

9) What are the main differences between the Java platform and other

platforms?
There are the following differences between the Java platform and other platforms.

Java is the software-based platform whereas other platforms may be the hardware platforms or
software-based platforms.

Java is executed on the top of other hardware platforms whereas other platforms can only have the
hardware components.

10) What gives Java its 'write once and run anywhere' nature?
The bytecode. Java compiler converts the Java programs into the class file (Byte Code) which is the intermediate
language between source code and machine code. This bytecode is not platform specific and can be executed on
any computer.

11) What is classloader?

Classloader is a subsystem of JVM which is used to load class files. Whenever we run the java program, it is loaded
first by the classloader. There are three built-in classloaders in Java.

1. Bootstrap ClassLoader: This is the first classloader which is the superclass of Extension classloader. It loads the
rt.jar file which contains all class files of Java Standard Edition like java.lang package classes, java.net package
classes, java.util package classes, java.io package classes, java.sql package classes, etc.
2. Extension ClassLoader: This is the child classloader of Bootstrap and parent classloader of System classloader. It
loads the jar files located inside $JAVA_HOME/jre/lib/ext directory.
3. System/Application ClassLoader: This is the child classloader of Extension classloader. It loads the class files from
the classpath. By default, the classpath is set to the current directory. You can change the classpath using "-cp" or "-
classpath" switch. It is also known as Application classloader.

12) Is Empty .java file name a valid source file name?

Yes, Java allows to save our java file by .java only, we need to compile it by javac .java and run by java classname
Let's take a simple example:

//save by .java only

class A{
public static void main(String args[]){
System.out.println("Hello java");
}
}
//compile by javac .java
//run by java A

compile it by javac .java

run it by java A

13) Is delete, next, main, exit or null keyword in java?

No.

14) If I don't provide any arguments on the command line, then what will the
value stored in the String array passed into the main() method, empty or NULL?
It is empty, but not null.

15) What if I write static public void instead of public static void?
The program compiles and runs correctly because the order of specifiers doesn't matter in Java.

16) What is the default value of the local variables?

The local variables are not initialized to any default value, neither primitives nor object references.

17) What are the various access specifiers in Java?

In Java, access specifiers are the keywords which are used to define the access scope of the method, class, or a
variable. In Java, there are four access specifiers given below.

Public The classes, methods, or variables which are defined as public, can be accessed by any class
or method.

Protected Protected can be accessed by the class of the same package, or by the sub-class of this
class, or within the same class.

Default Default are accessible within the package only. By default, all the classes, methods, and
variables are of default scope.

Private The private class, methods, or variables defined as private can be accessed within the class
only.

18) What is the purpose of static methods and variables?

The methods or variables defined as static are shared among all the objects of the class. The static is the part of
the class and not of the object. The static variables are stored in the class area, and we do not need to create the
object to access such variables. Therefore, static is used in the case, where we need to define variables or methods
which are common to all the objects of the class.

For example, In the class simulating the collection of the students in a college, the name of the college is the
common attribute to all the students. Therefore, the college name will be defined as static.

19) What are the advantages of Packages in Java?

There are various advantages of defining packages in Java.

Packages avoid the name clashes.

The Package provides easier access control.

We can also have the hidden classes that are not visible outside and used by the package.

It is easier to locate the related classes.

20) What is the output of the following Java program?

class Test
{
public static void main (String args[])
{
System.out.println(10 + 20 + "Javatpoint");
System.out.println("Javatpoint" + 10 + 20);
}
}

The output of the above code will be

30Javatpoint
Javatpoint1020

Explanation

In the first case, 10 and 20 are treated as numbers and added to be 30. Now, their sum 30 is treated as the string
and concatenated with the string Javatpoint. Therefore, the output will be 30Javatpoint.

In the second case, the string Javatpoint is concatenated with 10 to be the string Javatpoint10 which will then be
concatenated with 20 to be Javatpoint1020.

21) What is the output of the following Java program?

class Test
{
public static void main (String args[])
{
System.out.println(10 * 20 + "Javatpoint");
System.out.println("Javatpoint" + 10 * 20);
}
}

The output of the above code will be

200Javatpoint
Javatpoint200

Explanation

In the first case, The numbers 10 and 20 will be multiplied first and then the result 200 is treated as the string and
concatenated with the string Javatpoint to produce the output 200Javatpoint.

In the second case, The numbers 10 and 20 will be multiplied first to be 200 because the precedence of the
multiplication is higher than addition. The result 200 will be treated as the string and concatenated with the
string Javatpointto produce the output as Javatpoint200.

22) What is the output of the following Java program?

class Test
{
public static void main (String args[])
{
for(int i=0; 0; i++)
{
System.out.println("Hello Javatpoint");
}
}
}

The above code will give the compile-time error because the for loop demands a boolean value in the second
part and we are providing an integer value, i.e., 0.

Core Java - OOPs Concepts: Initial OOPs Interview Questions

There is given more than 50 OOPs (Object-Oriented Programming and System) interview questions. However,
they have been categorized in many sections such as constructor interview questions, static interview questions,
Inheritance Interview questions, Abstraction interview question, Polymorphism interview questions, etc. for better
understanding.

23) What is object-oriented paradigm?

It is a programming paradigm based on objects having data and methods defined in the class to which it
belongs. Object-oriented paradigm aims to incorporate the advantages of modularity and reusability. Objects are
the instances of classes which interacts with one another to design applications and programs. There are the
following features of the object-oriented paradigm.

Follows the bottom-up approach in program design.

Focus on data with methods to operate upon the object's data

Includes the concept like Encapsulation and abstraction which hides the complexities from the
user and show only functionality.

Implements the real-time approach like inheritance, abstraction, etc.

The examples of the object-oriented paradigm are C++, Simula, Smalltalk, Python, C#, etc.

24) What is an object?

The Object is the real-time entity having some state and behavior. In Java, Object is an instance of the class
having the instance variables as the state of the object and the methods as the behavior of the object. The object
of a class can be created by using the new keyword.

25) What is the difference between an object-oriented programming language

and object-based programming language?
There are the following basic differences between the object-oriented language and object-based language.

Object-oriented languages follow all the concepts of OOPs whereas, the object-based language
doesn't follow all the concepts of OOPs like inheritance and polymorphism.

Object-oriented languages do not have the inbuilt objects whereas Object-based languages have
the inbuilt objects, for example, JavaScript has window object.

Examples of object-oriented programming are Java, C#, Smalltalk, etc. whereas the examples of
object-based languages are JavaScript, VBScript, etc.

26) What will be the initial value of an object reference which is defined as an
instance variable?
All object references are initialized to null in Java.

Core Java - OOPs Concepts: Constructor Interview Questions

27) What is the constructor?

The constructor can be defined as the special type of method that is used to initialize the state of an object. It is
invoked when the class is instantiated, and the memory is allocated for the object. Every time, an object is
created using the new keyword, the default constructor of the class is called. The name of the constructor must
be similar to the class name. The constructor must not have an explicit return type.

More Details.

28) How many types of constructors are used in Java?

Based on the parameters passed in the constructors, there are two types of constructors in Java.

Default Constructor: default constructor is the one which does not accept any value. The default
constructor is mainly used to initialize the instance variable with the default values. It can also be
used for performing some useful task on object creation. A default constructor is invoked implicitly
by the compiler if there is no constructor defined in the class.

Parameterized Constructor: The parameterized constructor is the one which can initialize the
instance variables with the given values. In other words, we can say that the constructors which can
accept the arguments are called parameterized constructors.

29) What is the purpose of a default constructor?

The purpose of the default constructor is to assign the default value to the objects. The java compiler creates a
default constructor implicitly if there is no constructor in the class.

class Student3{
int id;
String name;

void display(){System.out.println(id+" "+name);}

public static void main(String args[]){

Student3 s1=new Student3();
Student3 s2=new Student3();
s1.display();
s2.display();
}
}

Test it Now

Output:

0 null
0 null

Explanation: In the above class, you are not creating any constructor, so compiler provides you a default
constructor. Here 0 and null values are provided by default constructor.

More Details.

30) Does constructor return any value?

Ans: yes, The constructor implicitly returns the current instance of the class (You can't use an explicit return type
with the constructor). More Details.

31)Is constructor inherited?

No, The constructor is not inherited.

32) Can you make a constructor final?

No, the constructor can't be final.

33) Can we overload the constructors?

Yes, the constructors can be overloaded by changing the number of arguments accepted by the constructor or
by changing the data type of the parameters. Consider the following example.

class Test
{
int i;
public Test(int k)
{
i=k;
}
public Test(int k, int m)
{
System.out.println("Hi I am assigning the value max(k, m) to i");
if(k>m)
{
i=k;
}
else
{
i=m;
}
}
}
public class Main
{
public static void main (String args[])
{
Test test1 = new Test(10);
Test test2 = new Test(12, 15);
System.out.println(test1.i);
System.out.println(test2.i);
}
}

In the above program, The constructor Test is overloaded with another constructor. In the first call to the
constructor, The constructor with one argument is called, and i will be initialized with the value 10. However, In
the second call to the constructor, The constructor with the 2 arguments is called, and i will be initialized with the
value 15.

34) What do you understand by copy constructor in Java?

There is no copy constructor in java. However, we can copy the values from one object to another like copy
constructor in C++.

There are many ways to copy the values of one object into another in java. They are:

By constructor

By assigning the values of one object into another

By clone() method of Object class

In this example, we are going to copy the values of one object into another using java constructor.

//Java program to initialize the values from one object to another

class Student6{
int id;
String name;
//constructor to initialize integer and string
Student6(int i,String n){
id = i;
name = n;
}
//constructor to initialize another object
Student6(Student6 s){
id = s.id;
name =s.name;
}
void display(){System.out.println(id+" "+name);}

public static void main(String args[]){

Student6 s1 = new Student6(111,"Karan");
Student6 s2 = new Student6(s1);
s1.display();
s2.display();
}
}

Test it Now

Output:

111 Karan
111 Karan

35) What are the differences between the constructors and methods?
There are many differences between constructors and methods. They are given below.

Java Constructor Java Method

A constructor is used to initialize the state of an A method is used to expose the behavior of an
object. object.

A constructor must not have a return type. A method must have a return type.

The constructor is invoked implicitly. The method is invoked explicitly.

The Java compiler provides a default constructor if The method is not provided by the compiler in
you don't have any constructor in a class. any case.

The constructor name must be same as the class The method name may or may not be same as
name. class name.

36) What is the output of the following Java program?

public class Test

{
Test(int a, int b)
{
System.out.println("a = "+a+" b = "+b);
}
Test(int a, float b)
{
System.out.println("a = "+a+" b = "+b);
}
public static void main (String args[])
{
byte a = 10;
byte b = 15;
Test test = new Test(a,b);
}
}

The output of the following program is:

a = 10 b = 15

Here, the data type of the variables a and b, i.e., byte gets promoted to int, and the first parameterized constructor
with the two integer parameters is called.

37) What is the output of the following Java program?

class Test
{
int i;
}
public class Main
{
public static void main (String args[])
{
Test test = new Test();
System.out.println(test.i);
}
}

The output of the program is 0 because the variable i is initialized to 0 internally. As we know that a default
constructor is invoked implicitly if there is no constructor in the class, the variable i is initialized to 0 since there is
no constructor in the class.

38) What is the output of the following Java program?

class Test
{
int test_a, test_b;
Test(int a, int b)
{
test_a = a;
test_b = b;
}
public static void main (String args[])
{
Test test = new Test();
System.out.println(test.test_a+" "+test.test_b);
}
}

There is a compiler error in the program because there is a call to the default constructor in the main method
which is not present in the class. However, there is only one parameterized constructor in the class Test. Therefore,
no default constructor is invoked by the constructor implicitly.

Core Java - OOPs Concepts: static keyword Interview Questions

39) What is the static variable?

The static variable is used to refer to the common property of all objects (that is not unique for each object), e.g.,
The company name of employees, college name of students, etc. Static variable gets memory only once in the
class area at the time of class loading. Using a static variable makes your program more memory efficient (it
saves memory). Static variable belongs to the class rather than the object.

//Program of static variable

class Student8{
int rollno;
String name;
static String college ="ITS";

Student8(int r,String n){

rollno = r;
name = n;
}
void display (){System.out.println(rollno+" "+name+" "+college);}

public static void main(String args[]){

Student8 s1 = new Student8(111,"Karan");
Student8 s2 = new Student8(222,"Aryan");

s1.display();
s2.display();
}
}

Test it Now

Output:111 Karan ITS

222 Aryan ITS

More Details.

40) What is the static method?

A static method belongs to the class rather than the object.
There is no need to create the object to call the static methods.
A static method can access and change the value of the static variable.

More Details.

41) What are the restrictions that are applied to the Java static methods?
Two main restrictions are applied to the static methods.

The static method can not use non-static data member or call the non-static method directly.

this and super cannot be used in static context as they are non-static.

42) Why is the main method static?

Because the object is not required to call the static method. If we make the main method non-static, JVM will
have to create its object first and then call main() method which will lead to the extra memory allocation. More
Details.

43) Can we override the static methods?

No, we can't override static methods.

44) What is the static block?

Static block is used to initialize the static data member. It is executed before the main method, at the time of
classloading.

class A2{
static{System.out.println("static block is invoked");}
public static void main(String args[]){
System.out.println("Hello main");
}
}

Test it Now

Output: static block is invoked

Hello main

More Details.

45) Can we execute a program without main() method?

Ans) No, It was possible before JDK 1.7 using the static block. Since JDK 1.7, it is not possible. More Details.

46) What if the static modifier is removed from the signature of the main

method?
Program compiles. However, at runtime, It throws an error "NoSuchMethodError."

47) What is the difference between static (class) method and instance method?

static or class method instance method

1)A method that is declared as static is known as A method that is not declared as static is known
the static method. as the instance method.

2)We don't need to create the objects to call the The object is required to call the instance
static methods. methods.

3)Non-static (instance) members cannot be Static and non-static variables both can be
accessed in the static context (static method, accessed in instance methods.
static block, and static nested class) directly.

4)For example: public static int cube(int n){ return For example: public void msg(){...}.
n*n*n;}

48) Can we make constructors static?

As we know that the static context (method, block, or variable) belongs to the class, not the object. Since
Constructors are invoked only when the object is created, there is no sense to make the constructors static.
However, if you try to do so, the compiler will show the compiler error.

49) Can we make the abstract methods static in Java?

In Java, if we make the abstract methods static, It will become the part of the class, and we can directly call it
which is unnecessary. Calling an undefined method is completely useless therefore it is not allowed.

50) Can we declare the static variables and methods in an abstract class?
Yes, we can declare static variables and methods in an abstract method. As we know that there is no requirement
to make the object to access the static context, therefore, we can access the static context declared inside the
abstract class by using the name of the abstract class. Consider the following example.

abstract class Test

{
static int i = 102;
static void TestMethod()
{
System.out.println("hi !! I am good !!");
}
}
public class TestClass extends Test
{
public static void main (String args[])
{
Test.TestMethod();
System.out.println("i = "+Test.i);
}
}

Output

hi !! I am good !!
i = 102

Core Java - OOPs Concepts: Inheritance Interview Questions

51) What is this keyword in java?

The this keyword is a reference variable that refers to the current object. There are the various uses of this
keyword in Java. It can be used to refer to current class properties such as instance methods, variable,
constructors, etc. It can also be passed as an argument into the methods or constructors. It can also be returned
from the method as the current class instance.

More Details.

52) What are the main uses of this keyword?

There are the following uses of this keyword.

this can be used to refer to the current class instance variable.

this can be used to invoke current class method (implicitly)

this() can be used to invoke the current class constructor.

this can be passed as an argument in the method call.

this can be passed as an argument in the constructor call.

this can be used to return the current class instance from the method.

53) Can we assign the reference to this variable?

No, this cannot be assigned to any value because it always points to the current class object and this is the final
reference in Java. However, if we try to do so, the compiler error will be shown. Consider the following example.

public class Test

{
public Test()
{
this = null;
System.out.println("Test class constructor called");
}
public static void main (String args[])
{
Test t = new Test();
}
}

Output

Test.java:5: error: cannot assign a value to final variable this

this = null;
^
1 error

54) Can this keyword be used to refer static members?

Yes, It is possible to use this keyword to refer static members because this is just a reference variable which refers
to the current class object. However, as we know that, it is unnecessary to access static variables through objects,
therefore, it is not the best practice to use this to refer static members. Consider the following example.

public class Test

{
static int i = 10;
public Test ()
{
System.out.println(this.i);
}
public static void main (String args[])
{
Test t = new Test();
}
}

Output

10

55) How can constructor chaining be done using this keyword?

Constructor chaining enables us to call one constructor from another constructor of the class with respect to the
current class object. We can use this keyword to perform constructor chaining within the same class. Consider
the following example which illustrates how can we use this keyword to achieve constructor chaining.

public class Employee

{
int id,age;
String name, address;
public Employee (int age)
{
this.age = age;
}
public Employee(int id, int age)
{
this(age);
this.id = id;
}
public Employee(int id, int age, String name, String address)
{
this(id, age);
this.name = name;
this.address = address;
}
public static void main (String args[])
{
Employee emp = new Employee(105, 22, "Vikas", "Delhi");
System.out.println("ID: "+emp.id+" Name:"+emp.name+" age:"+emp.age+" address: "+emp.address);
}

Output

ID: 105 Name:Vikas age:22 address: Delhi

56) What are the advantages of passing this into a method instead of the current

class object itself?

As we know, that this refers to the current class object, therefore, it must be similar to the current class object.
However, there can be two main advantages of passing this into a method instead of the current class object.

this is a final variable. Therefore, this cannot be assigned to any new value whereas the current class
object might not be final and can be changed.

this can be used in the synchronized block.

57) What is the Inheritance?

Inheritance is a mechanism by which one object acquires all the properties and behavior of another object of
another class. It is used for Code Reusability and Method Overriding. The idea behind inheritance in Java is that
you can create new classes that are built upon existing classes. When you inherit from an existing class, you can
reuse methods and fields of the parent class. Moreover, you can add new methods and fields in your current class
also. Inheritance represents the IS-A relationship which is also known as a parent-child relationship.

There are five types of inheritance in Java.

Single-level inheritance

Multi-level inheritance

Multiple Inheritance

Hierarchical Inheritance

Hybrid Inheritance

Multiple inheritance is not supported in Java through class.

More Details.

58) Why is Inheritance used in Java?

There are various advantages of using inheritance in Java that is given below.

Inheritance provides code reusability. The derived class does not need to redefine the method of
base class unless it needs to provide the specific implementation of the method.

Runtime polymorphism cannot be achieved without using inheritance.

We can simulate the inheritance of classes with the real-time objects which makes OOPs more
realistic.

Inheritance provides data hiding. The base class can hide some data from the derived class by
making it private.

Method overriding cannot be achieved without inheritance. By method overriding, we can give a
specific implementation of some basic method contained by the base class.

59) Which class is the superclass for all the classes?

The object class is the superclass of all other classes in Java.

60) Why is multiple inheritance not supported in java?

To reduce the complexity and simplify the language, multiple inheritance is not supported in java. Consider a
scenario where A, B, and C are three classes. The C class inherits A and B classes. If A and B classes have the same
method and you call it from child class object, there will be ambiguity to call the method of A or B class.

Since the compile-time errors are better than runtime errors, Java renders compile-time error if you inherit 2
classes. So whether you have the same method or different, there will be a compile time error.

class A{
void msg(){System.out.println("Hello");}
}
class B{
void msg(){System.out.println("Welcome");}
}
class C extends A,B{//suppose if it were

Public Static void main(String args[]){

C obj=new C();
obj.msg();//Now which msg() method would be invoked?
}
}

Test it Now

Compile Time Error

61) What is aggregation?

Aggregation can be defined as the relationship between two classes where the aggregate class contains a
reference to the class it owns. Aggregation is best described as a has-a relationship. For example, The aggregate
class Employee having various fields such as age, name, and salary also contains an object of Address class having
various fields such as Address-Line 1, City, State, and pin-code. In other words, we can say that Employee (class)
has an object of Address class. Consider the following example.

Address.java

public class Address {

String city,state,country;

public Address(String city, String state, String country) {

this.city = city;
this.state = state;
this.country = country;
}

Employee.java

public class Emp {

int id;
String name;
Address address;

public Emp(int id, String name,Address address) {

this.id = id;
this.name = name;
this.address=address;
}

void display(){
System.out.println(id+" "+name);
System.out.println(address.city+" "+address.state+" "+address.country);
}

public static void main(String[] args) {

Address address1=new Address("gzb","UP","india");
Address address2=new Address("gno","UP","india");

Emp e=new Emp(111,"varun",address1);

Emp e2=new Emp(112,"arun",address2);

e.display();
e2.display();

}
}

Output

111 varun
gzb UP india
112 arun
gno UP india

62) What is composition?

Holding the reference of a class within some other class is known as composition. When an object contains the
other object, if the contained object cannot exist without the existence of container object, then it is called
composition. In other words, we can say that composition is the particular case of aggregation which represents a
stronger relationship between two objects. Example: A class contains students. A student cannot exist without a
class. There exists composition between class and students.

63) What is the difference between aggregation and composition?

Aggregation represents the weak relationship whereas composition represents the strong relationship. For
example, the bike has an indicator (aggregation), but the bike has an engine (composition).

64) Why does Java not support pointers?

The pointer is a variable that refers to the memory address. They are not used in Java because they are
unsafe(unsecured) and complex to understand.

65) What is super in java?

The super keyword in Java is a reference variable that is used to refer to the immediate parent class object.
Whenever you create the instance of the subclass, an instance of the parent class is created implicitly which is
referred by super reference variable. The super() is called in the class constructor implicitly by the compiler if
there is no super or this.

class Animal{
Animal(){System.out.println("animal is created");}
}
class Dog extends Animal{
Dog(){
System.out.println("dog is created");
}
}
class TestSuper4{
public static void main(String args[]){
Dog d=new Dog();
}
}

Test it Now

Output:

animal is created
dog is created

More Details.

66) How can constructor chaining be done by using the super keyword?

class Person
{
String name,address;
int age;
public Person(int age, String name, String address)
{
this.age = age;
this.name = name;
this.address = address;
}
}
class Employee extends Person
{
float salary;
public Employee(int age, String name, String address, float salary)
{
super(age,name,address);
this.salary = salary;
}
}
public class Test
{
public static void main (String args[])
{
Employee e = new Employee(22, "Mukesh", "Delhi", 90000);
System.out.println("Name: "+e.name+" Salary: "+e.salary+" Age: "+e.age+" Address: "+e.address);
}
}

Output

Name: Mukesh Salary: 90000.0 Age: 22 Address: Delhi

67) What are the main uses of the super keyword?

There are the following uses of super keyword.

super can be used to refer to the immediate parent class instance variable.

super can be used to invoke the immediate parent class method.

super() can be used to invoke immediate parent class constructor.

68) What are the differences between this and super keyword?
There are the following differences between this and super keyword.

The super keyword always points to the parent class contexts whereas this keyword always points
to the current class context.

The super keyword is primarily used for initializing the base class variables within the derived class
constructor whereas this keyword primarily used to differentiate between local and instance
variables when passed in the class constructor.

The super and this must be the first statement inside constructor otherwise the compiler will throw
an error.

69) What is the output of the following Java program?

class Person
{
public Person()
{
System.out.println("Person class constructor called");
}
}
public class Employee extends Person
{
public Employee()
{
System.out.println("Employee class constructor called");
}
public static void main (String args[])
{
Employee e = new Employee();
}
}

Output

Person class constructor called

Employee class constructor called

Explanation

The super() is implicitly invoked by the compiler if no super() or this() is included explicitly within the derived class
constructor. Therefore, in this case, The Person class constructor is called first and then the Employee class
constructor is called.

70) Can you use this() and super() both in a constructor?

No, because this() and super() must be the first statement in the class constructor.

Example:

public class Test{

Test()
{
super();
this();
System.out.println("Test class object is created");
}
public static void main(String []args){
Test t = new Test();
}
}

Output:

Test.java:5: error: call to this must be first statement in constructor

71)What is object cloning?

The object cloning is used to create the exact copy of an object. The clone() method of the Object class is used to
clone an object. The java.lang.Cloneable interface must be implemented by the class whose object clone we
want to create. If we don't implement Cloneable interface, clone() method generates
CloneNotSupportedException.

protected Object clone() throws CloneNotSupportedException

More Details.

Core Java - OOPs Concepts: Method Overloading Interview

Questions

72) What is method overloading?

Method overloading is the polymorphism technique which allows us to create multiple methods with the same
name but different signature. We can achieve method overloading in two ways.

By Changing the number of arguments

By Changing the data type of arguments

Method overloading increases the readability of the program. Method overloading is performed to figure out the
program quickly.

More Details.

73) Why is method overloading not possible by changing the return type in java?
In Java, method overloading is not possible by changing the return type of the program due to avoid the
ambiguity.

class Adder{
static int add(int a,int b){return a+b;}
static double add(int a,int b){return a+b;}
}
class TestOverloading3{
public static void main(String[] args){
System.out.println(Adder.add(11,11));//ambiguity
}}

Test it Now

Output:

Compile Time Error: method add(int, int) is already defined in class Adder

More Details.

74) Can we overload the methods by making them static?

No, We cannot overload the methods by just applying the static keyword to them(number of parameters and
types are the same). Consider the following example.

public class Animal

{
void consume(int a)
{
System.out.println(a+" consumed!!");
}
static void consume(int a)
{
System.out.println("consumed static "+a);
}
public static void main (String args[])
{
Animal a = new Animal();
a.consume(10);
Animal.consume(20);
}
}

Output

Animal.java:7: error: method consume(int) is already defined in class Animal

static void consume(int a)
^
Animal.java:15: error: non-static method consume(int) cannot be referenced from a static context
Animal.consume(20);
^
2 errors

75) Can we overload the main() method?

Yes, we can have any number of main methods in a Java program by using method overloading.

More Details.

76) What is method overloading with type promotion?

By Type promotion is method overloading, we mean that one data type can be promoted to another implicitly if
no exact matching is found.

As displayed in the above diagram, the byte can be promoted to short, int, long, float or double. The short
datatype can be promoted to int, long, float or double. The char datatype can be promoted to int, long, float or
double and so on. Consider the following example.

class OverloadingCalculation1{
void sum(int a,long b){System.out.println(a+b);}
void sum(int a,int b,int c){System.out.println(a+b+c);}

public static void main(String args[]){

OverloadingCalculation1 obj=new OverloadingCalculation1();
obj.sum(20,20);//now second int literal will be promoted to long
obj.sum(20,20,20);
}
}

Test it Now

Output

40
60

77) What is the output of the following Java program?

class OverloadingCalculation3{
void sum(int a,long b){System.out.println("a method invoked");}
void sum(long a,int b){System.out.println("b method invoked");}

public static void main(String args[]){

OverloadingCalculation3 obj=new OverloadingCalculation3();
obj.sum(20,20);//now ambiguity
}
}

Output

OverloadingCalculation3.java:7: error: reference to sum is ambiguous

obj.sum(20,20);//now ambiguity
^
both method sum(int,long) in OverloadingCalculation3
and method sum(long,int) in OverloadingCalculation3 match
1 error

Explanation

There are two methods defined with the same name, i.e., sum. The first method accepts the integer and long
type whereas the second method accepts long and the integer type. The parameter passed that are a = 20, b =
20. We can not tell that which method will be called as there is no clear differentiation mentioned between
integer literal and long literal. This is the case of ambiguity. Therefore, the compiler will throw an error.

Core Java - OOPs Concepts: Method Overriding Interview

Questions

78) What is method overriding:

If a subclass provides a specific implementation of a method that is already provided by its parent class, it is
known as Method Overriding. It is used for runtime polymorphism and to implement the interface methods.

Rules for Method overriding

The method must have the same name as in the parent class.

The method must have the same signature as in the parent class.

Two classes must have an IS-A relationship between them.

More Details.

79) Can we override the static method?

No, you can't override the static method because they are the part of the class, not the object.

80) Why can we not override static method?

It is because the static method is the part of the class, and it is bound with class whereas instance method is
bound with the object, and static gets memory in class area, and instance gets memory in a heap.

81) Can we override the overloaded method?

Yes.

82) Difference between method Overloading and Overriding.

Method Overloading Method Overriding

1) Method overloading increases the readability of Method overriding provides the specific
the program. implementation of the method that is already
provided by its superclass.

2) Method overloading occurs within the class. Method overriding occurs in two classes that have
IS-A relationship between them.

3) In this case, the parameters must be different. In this case, the parameters must be the same.

83) Can we override the private methods?

No, we cannot override the private methods because the scope of private methods is limited to the class and we
cannot access them outside of the class.

84) Can we change the scope of the overridden method in the subclass?
Yes, we can change the scope of the overridden method in the subclass. However, we must notice that we cannot
decrease the accessibility of the method. The following point must be taken care of while changing the
accessibility of the method.

The private can be changed to protected, public, or default.

The protected can be changed to public or default.

The default can be changed to public.

The public will always remain public.

85) Can we modify the throws clause of the superclass method while overriding

it in the subclass?
Yes, we can modify the throws clause of the superclass method while overriding it in the subclass. However, there
are some rules which are to be followed while overriding in case of exception handling.

If the superclass method does not declare an exception, subclass overridden method cannot
declare the checked exception, but it can declare the unchecked exception.

If the superclass method declares an exception, subclass overridden method can declare same,
subclass exception or no exception but cannot declare parent exception.

86) What is the output of the following Java program?

class Base
{
void method(int a)
{
System.out.println("Base class method called with integer a = "+a);
}

void method(double d)
{
System.out.println("Base class method called with double d ="+d);
}
}

class Derived extends Base

{
@Override
void method(double d)
{
System.out.println("Derived class method called with double d ="+d);
}
}

public class Main

{
public static void main(String[] args)
{
new Derived().method(10);
}
}

Output

Base class method called with integer a = 10

Explanation

The method() is overloaded in class Base whereas it is derived in class Derived with the double type as the
parameter. In the method call, the integer is passed.

87) Can you have virtual functions in Java?

Yes, all functions in Java are virtual by default.

88) What is covariant return type?

Now, since java5, it is possible to override any method by changing the return type if the return type of the
subclass overriding method is subclass type. It is known as covariant return type. The covariant return type
specifies that the return type may vary in the same direction as the subclass.

class A{
A get(){return this;}
}

class B1 extends A{
B1 get(){return this;}
void message(){System.out.println("welcome to covariant return type");}

public static void main(String args[]){

new B1().get().message();
}
}

Test it Now

Output: welcome to covariant return type

More Details.

89) What is the output of the following Java program?

class Base
{
public void baseMethod()
{
System.out.println("BaseMethod called ...");
}
}
class Derived extends Base
{
public void baseMethod()
{
System.out.println("Derived method called ...");
}
}
public class Test
{
public static void main (String args[])
{
Base b = new Derived();
b.baseMethod();
}
}

Output

Derived method called ...

Explanation

The method of Base class, i.e., baseMethod() is overridden in Derived class. In Test class, the reference variable b
(of type Base class) refers to the instance of the Derived class. Here, Runtime polymorphism is achieved between
class Base and Derived. At compile time, the presence of method baseMethod checked in Base class, If it
presence then the program compiled otherwise the compiler error will be shown. In this case, baseMethod is
present in Base class; therefore, it is compiled successfully. However, at runtime, It checks whether the
baseMethod has been overridden by Derived class, if so then the Derived class method is called otherwise Base
class method is called. In this case, the Derived class overrides the baseMethod; therefore, the Derived class
method is called.

Core Java - OOPs Concepts: final keyword Interview Questions

90) What is the final variable?

In Java, the final variable is used to restrict the user from updating it. If we initialize the final variable, we can't
change its value. In other words, we can say that the final variable once assigned to a value, can never be
changed after that. The final variable which is not assigned to any value can only be assigned through the class
constructor.

class Bike9{
final int speedlimit=90;//final variable
void run(){
speedlimit=400;
}
public static void main(String args[]){
Bike9 obj=new Bike9();
obj.run();
}
}//end of class

Test it Now

Output:Compile Time Error

More Details.

91) What is the final method?

If we change any method to a final method, we can't override it. More Details.

class Bike{
final void run(){System.out.println("running");}
}

class Honda extends Bike{

void run(){System.out.println("running safely with 100kmph");}

public static void main(String args[]){

Honda honda= new Honda();
honda.run();
}
}

Test it Now

Output:Compile Time Error

92) What is the final class?

If we make any class final, we can't inherit it into any of the subclasses.

final class Bike{}

class Honda1 extends Bike{

void run(){System.out.println("running safely with 100kmph");}

public static void main(String args[]){

Honda1 honda= new Honda1();
honda.run();
}
}

Test it Now

Output:Compile Time Error

More Details.

93) What is the final blank variable?

A final variable, not initialized at the time of declaration, is known as the final blank variable. We can't initialize
the final blank variable directly. Instead, we have to initialize it by using the class constructor. It is useful in the
case when the user has some data which must not be changed by others, for example, PAN Number. Consider
the following example:

class Student{
int id;
String name;
final String PAN_CARD_NUMBER;
...
}

More Details.

94) Can we initialize the final blank variable?

Yes, if it is not static, we can initialize it in the constructor. If it is static blank final variable, it can be initialized only
in the static block. More Details.

95) Can you declare the main method as final?

Yes, We can declare the main method as public static final void main(String[] args){}.

96) What is the output of the following Java program?

class Main {
public static void main(String args[]){
final int i;
i = 20;
System.out.println(i);
}
}

Output

20

Explanation

Since i is the blank final variable. It can be initialized only once. We have initialized it to 20. Therefore, 20 will be
printed.

97) What is the output of the following Java program?

class Base
{
protected final void getInfo()
{
System.out.println("method of Base class");
}
}

public class Derived extends Base

{
protected final void getInfo()
{
System.out.println("method of Derived class");
}
public static void main(String[] args)
{
Base obj = new Base();
obj.getInfo();
}
}

Output

Derived.java:11: error: getInfo() in Derived cannot override getInfo() in Base

protected final void getInfo()
^
overridden method is final
1 error

Explanation

The getDetails() method is final; therefore it can not be overridden in the subclass.

98) Can we declare a constructor as final?

The constructor can never be declared as final because it is never inherited. Constructors are not ordinary
methods; therefore, there is no sense to declare constructors as final. However, if you try to do so, The compiler
will throw an error.

99) Can we declare an interface as final?

No, we cannot declare an interface as final because the interface must be implemented by some class to provide
its definition. Therefore, there is no sense to make an interface final. However, if you try to do so, the compiler will
show an error.

100) What is the difference between the final method and abstract method?
The main difference between the final method and abstract method is that the abstract method cannot be final
as we need to override them in the subclass to give its definition.