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The document discusses the execution order of constructors in a class hierarchy, emphasizing that superclasses' constructors are executed before subclasses'. It illustrates this with examples of shipping costs and class inheritance, highlighting the reuse of code through inheritance. Additionally, it notes that while the classes can be shown in one file for convenience, they are typically organized into separate files in practice.

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Asim Dinda
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2 views

java_research_4

The document discusses the execution order of constructors in a class hierarchy, emphasizing that superclasses' constructors are executed before subclasses'. It illustrates this with examples of shipping costs and class inheritance, highlighting the reuse of code through inheritance. Additionally, it notes that while the classes can be shown in one file for convenience, they are typically organized into separate files in practice.

Uploaded by

Asim Dinda
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The output of this program is shown here:

Volume of shipment1 is 3000.0


Weight of shipment1 is 10.0
Shipping cost: $3.41

Volume of shipment2 is 24.0


Weight of shipment2 is 0.76
Shipping cost: $1.28

Because of inheritance, Shipment can make use of the previously


defined classes of Box and BoxWeight, adding only the extra information
it needs for its own, specific application. This is part of the value of
inheritance; it allows the reuse of code.
This example illustrates one other important point: super( ) always
refers to the constructor in the closest superclass. The super( ) in
Shipment calls the constructor in BoxWeight. The super( ) in BoxWeight
calls the constructor in Box. In a class hierarchy, if a superclass
constructor requires arguments, then all subclasses must pass those
arguments “up the line.” This is true whether or not a subclass needs
arguments of its own.
Note In the preceding program, the entire class hierarchy, including Box,
BoxWeight, and Shipment, is shown all in one file. This is for your
convenience only. In Java, all three classes could have been placed into
their own files and compiled separately. In fact, using separate files is
the norm, not the exception, in creating class hierarchies.

When Constructors Are Executed


When a class hierarchy is created, in what order are the constructors for
the classes that make up the hierarchy executed? For example, given a
subclass called B and a superclass called A, is A’s constructor executed
before B’s, or vice versa? The answer is that in a class hierarchy,
constructors complete their execution in order of derivation, from
superclass to subclass. Further, since super( ) must be the first statement
executed in a subclass’ constructor, this order is the same whether or not
super( ) is used. If super( ) is not used, then the default or parameterless
constructor of each superclass will be executed. The following program
illustrates when constructors are executed:
The output from this program is shown here:
Inside A's constructor
Inside B's constructor
Inside C's constructor

As you can see, the constructors are executed in order of derivation.


If you think about it, it makes sense that constructors complete their
execution in order of derivation. Because a superclass has no knowledge of
any subclass, any initialization it needs to perform is separate from and
possibly prerequisite to any initialization performed by the subclass.
Therefore, it must complete its execution first.

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