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Session: 9 C
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Polymorphic Variable
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 Explain polymorphic variable

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 List types of polymorphic variables

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Explain simple polymorphic variable

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 Explain pseudo-variable

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 Explain reverse polymorphism
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Version 1.0 © 2012 Aptech Limited. Object-Oriented Programming Concepts / Session 9 2

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A variable that can hold

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reference
The figure of morevariable
shows a polymorphic than one
f1 of class

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Father which is used to access both parent as well as
type of object

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child class study() methods.

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 The C# code shows the creation of polymorphic

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variable.

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Code Snippet

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class Emp

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{

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public virtual void display()
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Console.WriteLine(“Class Emp”);
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}
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}
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// class FullTimeEmp inherits class Emp

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class FullTimeEmp : Emp

Version 1.0 © 2012 Aptech Limited. Object-Oriented Programming Concepts / Session 9 5

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{

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// overridden method

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public override void display()

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{

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Console.WriteLine(“Class FullTimeEmp”);
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}
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// class PartTimeEmp inherits class Emp
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class PartTimeEmp : Emp
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{
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// overridden method
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public override void display()

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{

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Console.WriteLine(“Class PartTimeEmp”);

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}

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static void Main()

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{
Emp e1 = new FullTimeEmp(); // polymorphic

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variable e1
e1.display(); // line3
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}// end of class

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Output:
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Class FullTimeEmp
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Invisible receiver
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The pseudo-variable

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a method and is normally not

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declared
‘this’ inlike
C++, a
C#,normal
and Java variable

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‘self’ in Small talk
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Eliminates the need to give different
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names to the method

in Eiffel parameters from
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‘current’
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that of the actual parameters

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 Reverse polymorphism is a process of undoing a

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polymorphic assignment.

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The C# code shows reverse polymorphism by assigning

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the object e1 again to a variable of type child class.

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Code Snippet
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Emp e1 = new FullTimeEmp(); // assign child

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class reference to parent class

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FullTimeEmp e2 = (FullTimeEmp)e1; // cast the

parent object back to child type
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 Problems that can arise

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Problem of identification Problem of assignment

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 The figure shows the identification and assignment

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problem.

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 A polymorphic variable is one that can hold reference

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of more than one type of object.

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 A pseudo-variable is an invisible receiver that works

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inside of a method and is normally not declared like a

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normal variable.

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 The pseudo-variable is called ‘this’ in C++, C# and Java,
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‘self’ in Small talk, and ‘current’ in Eiffel.
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The pseudo-variable eliminates the need to give
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different names to the method parameters from that

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of the actual parameters to resolve name ambiguity.

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Reverse polymorphism is a process of undoing a

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polymorphic assignment.
Version 1.0 © 2012 Aptech Limited. Object-Oriented Programming Concepts / Session 9 11