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12 Java Polymorphism- super keyword

The 'super' keyword in Java is used to refer to the immediate parent class object, allowing access to parent class instance variables, methods, and constructors. It is essential for distinguishing between overridden methods and accessing parent class properties. Examples demonstrate its usage in various contexts, including accessing variables, invoking methods, and calling constructors from subclasses.

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2 views

12 Java Polymorphism- super keyword

The 'super' keyword in Java is used to refer to the immediate parent class object, allowing access to parent class instance variables, methods, and constructors. It is essential for distinguishing between overridden methods and accessing parent class properties. Examples demonstrate its usage in various contexts, including accessing variables, invoking methods, and calling constructors from subclasses.

Uploaded by

agarwalshikhaaa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Super Keyword in Java

The ‘super’ keyword in Java is a reference variable which is used to refer immediate
parent class object.

Whenever you create the instance of subclass, an instance of parent class is created implicitly
which is referred by super reference variable.

Usage of Java super Keyword

1. ‘super’ can be used to refer immediate parent class instance variable.


2. ‘super’ can be used to invoke immediate parent class method.
3. ‘super()’ can be used to invoke immediate parent class constructor.

Let’s see these with examples.

1) super is used to refer immediate parent class instance variable.

We can use super keyword to access the data member or field of parent class.

1. class Animal{
2. String color="white";

3. }
4.
5. class Dog extends Animal{

6. String color="black";
7.
8. void printColor(){

9. System.out.println(color);//prints color of Dog class


10. System.out.println(super.color);//prints color of Animal class

11. }
12.
13. }

14. class TestSuper1{


15. public static void main(String args[]){

16. Dog d=new Dog();


17. d.printColor();

18. }}

Output:
black
white

In the above example, Animal and Dog both classes have a common property color. If we
print color property, it will print the color of current class by default. To access the parent
property, we need to use super keyword.

2) super can be used to invoke parent class method

The super keyword can also be used to invoke parent class method. It should be used
particularly if subclass contains the same method as parent class. In other words, it is used if
method is overridden.

1. class Animal{
2. void eat(){System.out.println("eating...");}
3. }
4.
5. class Dog extends Animal{
6.
7. void eat(){System.out.println("eating bread...");}
8.
9. void bark(){System.out.println("barking...");}
10.
11. void work(){
12. super.eat();
13. bark();
14. }
15. }
16. class TestSuper2{
17. public static void main(String args[]){
18. Dog d=new Dog();
19. d.work();
20. }}

Output:

Eating...
barking...

In the above example Animal and Dog both classes have eat() method if we call eat() method
from Dog class, it will call the eat() method of Dog class by default because priority is given
to local.

To call the parent class method, we need to use super keyword.

3) super is used to invoke parent class constructor.

The super keyword can also be used to invoke the parent class constructor. Let's see a simple
example:
1. class Animal{
2. Animal()
3. {
4. System.out.println("animal is created");
5. }

6. }
7.
8. class Dog extends Animal{

9. Dog(){
10. super();
11. System.out.println("dog is created");
12. }

13. }
14. class TestSuper3{

15. public static void main(String args[]){


16. Dog d=new Dog();

17. }}

Output:

animal is created
dog is created

Note: super() is added in each class constructor automatically by compiler if there is no


super() or this().
It is known that default constructor is provided by compiler automatically if there is no
constructor. But, it also adds super() as the first statement.
Another example of super keyword where super() is provided by the compiler
implicitly.

1. class Animal{
2. Animal(){System.out.println("animal is created");}
3. }
4. class Dog extends Animal{
5. Dog(){
6. System.out.println("dog is created");
7. }
8. }
9. class TestSuper4{
10. public static void main(String args[]){
11. Dog d=new Dog();
12. }}

Output:
animal is created
dog is created

super example: A Real use

Let's see the real use of super keyword. Here, Emp class inherits Person class so all the
properties of Person will be inherited to Emp by default. To initialize all the property, we are
using parent class constructor from child class. In such way, we are reusing the parent class
constructor.

1. class Person{
2. int id;

3. String name;
4. Person(int id,String name){

5. this.id=id;
6. this.name=name;

7. }
8. }

9. class Emp extends Person{


10. float salary;

11. Emp(int id,String name,float salary){


12. super(id,name);//reusing parent constructor

13. this.salary=salary;
14. }

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


16. }

17. class TestSuper5{


18. public static void main(String[] args){

19. Emp e1=new Emp(1,"ankit",45000f);


20. e1.display();

21. }}

Output:

1 ankit 45000

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