Polymorphism

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Polymorphism
• Polymorphism is an object-oriented concept that
allows us to create versatile software designs

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Outline
Polymorphic References
Polymorphism via Inheritance
Polymorphism via Interfaces

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Binding
• Consider the following method invocation:
obj.doIt();
• At some point, this invocation is bound to the
definition of the method that it invokes
• If this binding occurred at compile time, then that
line of code would call the same method every
time
• However, Java defers method binding until run
time -- this is called dynamic binding or late
binding
• Late binding provides flexibility in program design
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Polymorphism
• The term polymorphism literally means "having
many forms"

• A polymorphic reference is a variable that can

refer to different types of objects at different
points in time

• The method invoked through a polymorphic

reference can change from one invocation to the
next

• All object references in Java are potentially

polymorphic

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Polymorphism
• Suppose we create the following reference
variable:
Occupation job;
• Java allows this reference to point to an
Occupation object, or to any object of any
compatible type
• This compatibility can be established using
inheritance or using interfaces
• Careful use of polymorphic references can lead to
elegant, robust software designs

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Outline
Polymorphic References
Polymorphism via Inheritance
Polymorphism via Interfaces

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References and Inheritance
• An object reference can refer to an object of its
class, or to an object of any class related to it by
inheritance

• For example, if the Holiday class is derived from a

class called day, then a day reference could be
used to point to a Holiday object

Day
Day day;
day = new Holiday();
Holiday

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References and Inheritance
• Assigning a child object to a parent reference is
considered to be a widening conversion, and can
be performed by simple assignment

• Assigning an parent object to a child reference

can be done also, but it is considered a narrowing
conversion and must be done with a cast

• The widening conversion is the most useful

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Polymorphism via Inheritance
• It is the type of the object being referenced, not
the reference type, that determines which method
is invoked

• Suppose the Day class has a method called

celebrate, and the Holiday class overrides it

• Now consider the following invocation:

day.celebrate();

• If day refers to a Day object, it invokes the Day

version of celebrate; if it refers to a Holiday
object, it invokes the Holiday version

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Polymorphism via Inheritance
• Consider the following class hierarchy:

StaffMember

Volunteer Employee

Executive Hourly

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Polymorphism via Inheritance
• Now let's look at an example that pays a set of
diverse employees using a polymorphic method

• See Firm.java (page 486)

• See Staff.java (page 487)
• See StaffMember.java (page 489)
• See Volunteer.java (page 491)
• See Employee.java (page 492)
• See Executive.java (page 493)
• See Hourly.java (page 494)

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StaffMember.java
abstract public class StaffMember
{
protected String name;
protected String address;
protected String phone;

//----------------------------------------------------------
// Constructor: Sets up this staff member using the
// specified information.
//----------------------------------------------------------
public StaffMember (String eName, String eAddress,
String ePhone)
{
name = eName;
address = eAddress;
phone = ePhone;
}

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StaffMember.java
//----------------------------------------------------------
// Returns a string including the basic employee
// information.
//----------------------------------------------------------
public String toString()
{
String result = "Name: " + name + "\n";

result += "Address: " + address + "\n";

result += "Phone: " + phone;

return result;
}

//----------------------------------------------------------
// Derived classes must define the pay method for each type
// of employee.
//----------------------------------------------------------
public abstract double pay();
}

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Volunteer.java
public class Volunteer extends StaffMember
{
//----------------------------------------------------------
// Constructor: Sets up this volunteer using the specified
// information.
//----------------------------------------------------------
public Volunteer (String eName, String eAddress,
String ePhone)
{
super (eName, eAddress, ePhone);
}

//----------------------------------------------------------
// Returns a zero pay value for this volunteer.
//----------------------------------------------------------
public double pay()
{
return 0.0;
}
}

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Employee.java
public class Employee extends StaffMember
{
protected String socialSecurityNumber;
protected double payRate;

//----------------------------------------------------------
// Constructor: Sets up this employee with the specified
// information.
//----------------------------------------------------------
public Employee (String eName, String eAddress,
String ePhone, String socSecNumber,
double rate)
{
super (eName, eAddress, ePhone);

socialSecurityNumber = socSecNumber;
payRate = rate;
}

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Employee.java
//----------------------------------------------------------
// Returns information about an employee as a string.
//----------------------------------------------------------
public String toString()
{
String result = super.toString();

result += "\nSocial Security Number: " +

socialSecurityNumber;

return result;
}

//----------------------------------------------------------
// Returns the pay rate for this employee.
//----------------------------------------------------------
public double pay()
{
return payRate;
}
}

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Executive.java
public class Executive extends Employee
{
private double bonus;

//----------------------------------------------------------
// Constructor: Sets up this executive with the specified
// information.
//----------------------------------------------------------
public Executive (String eName, String eAddress,
String ePhone, String socSecNumber,
double rate)
{
super (eName, eAddress, ePhone, socSecNumber, rate);

bonus = 0; // bonus has yet to be awarded

}

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Executive.java
//----------------------------------------------------------
// Awards the specified bonus to this executive.
//----------------------------------------------------------
public void awardBonus (double execBonus)
{
bonus = execBonus;
}

//----------------------------------------------------------
// Computes and returns the pay for an executive, which is
// the regular employee payment plus a one-time bonus.
//----------------------------------------------------------
public double pay()
{
double payment = super.pay() + bonus;

bonus = 0;

return payment;
}
}

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Hourly.java
public class Hourly extends Employee
{
private int hoursWorked;

//----------------------------------------------------------
// Constructor: Sets up this hourly employee using the
// specified information.
//----------------------------------------------------------
public Hourly (String eName, String eAddress, String ePhone,
String socSecNumber, double rate)
{
super (eName, eAddress, ePhone, socSecNumber, rate);

hoursWorked = 0;
}

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Hourly.java
//----------------------------------------------------------
// Adds the specified number of hours to this employee's
// accumulated hours.
//----------------------------------------------------------
public void addHours (int moreHours)
{
hoursWorked += moreHours;
}

//----------------------------------------------------------
// Computes and returns the pay for this hourly employee.
//----------------------------------------------------------
public double pay()
{
double payment = payRate * hoursWorked;

hoursWorked = 0;

return payment;
}

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Hourly.java
//----------------------------------------------------------
// Returns information about this hourly employee as a
// string.
//----------------------------------------------------------
public String toString()
{
String result = super.toString();

result += "\nCurrent hours: " + hoursWorked;

return result;
}
}

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Staff.java
public class Staff
{
private StaffMember[] staffList;

//----------------------------------------------------------
// Constructor: Sets up the list of staff members.
//----------------------------------------------------------
public Staff ()
{
staffList = new StaffMember[6];

staffList[0] = new Executive ("Sam", "123 Main Line",

"555-0469", "123-45-6789", 2423.07);

staffList[1] = new Employee ("Carla", "456 Off Line",

"555-0101", "987-65-4321", 1246.15);
staffList[2] = new Employee ("Woody", "789 Off Rocker",
"555-0000", "010-20-3040", 1169.23);

staffList[3] = new Hourly ("Diane", "678 Fifth Ave.",

"555-0690", "958-47-3625", 10.55);

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Staff.java
staffList[4] = new Volunteer ("Norm", "987 Suds Blvd.",
"555-8374");
staffList[5] = new Volunteer ("Cliff", "321 Duds Lane",
"555-7282");

((Executive)staffList[0]).awardBonus (500.00);

((Hourly)staffList[3]).addHours (40);
}

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Staff.java
//----------------------------------------------------------
// Pays all staff members.
//----------------------------------------------------------
public void payday ()
{
double amount;

for (int count=0; count < staffList.length; count++)

{
System.out.println (staffList[count]); // polymorphic

amount = staffList[count].pay(); // polymorphic

if (amount == 0.0)
System.out.println ("Thanks!");
else
System.out.println ("Paid: " + amount);

System.out.println ("------------------------------");
}
}
}

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Firm.java
//*************************************************************
// Firm.java Author: Lewis/Loftus
//
// Demonstrates polymorphism via inheritance.
//*************************************************************

public class Firm

{
//----------------------------------------------------------
// Creates a staff of employees for a firm and pays them.
//----------------------------------------------------------
public static void main (String[] args)
{
Staff personnel = new Staff();

personnel.payday();
}
}

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 Output
Name: Sam Name: Diane
Address: 123 Main Line Address: 678 Fifth Ave.
Phone: 555-0469 Phone: 555-0690
Social Security Number: 123-45-6789 Social Security Number: 958-47-3625
Paid: 2923.07 Current hours: 40
----------------------------------- Paid: 422.0
Name: Carla -----------------------------------
Address: 456 Off Line Name: Norm
Phone: 555-0101 Address: 987 Suds Blvd.
Social Security Number: 987-65-4321 Phone: 555-8374
Paid: 1246.15 Thanks!
----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
Name: Woody Name: Cliff
Address: 789 Off Rocker Address: 321 Duds Lane
Phone: 555-0000 Phone: 555-7282
Social Security Number: 010-20-3040 Thanks!
Paid: 1169.23 -----------------------------------
-----------------------------------

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Outline
Polymorphic References
Polymorphism via Inheritance
Polymorphism via Interfaces

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Polymorphism via Interfaces
• An interface name can be used as the type of an
object reference variable

Speaker current;

• The current reference can be used to point to any

object of any class that implements the Speaker
interface

• The version of speak that the following line

invokes depends on the type of object that
current is referencing

current.speak();

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Polymorphism via Interfaces
• Suppose two classes, Philosopher and Dog, both
implement the Speaker interface, providing
distinct versions of the speak method

• In the following code, the first call to speak

invokes one version and the second invokes
another:
Speaker guest = new Philospher();
guest.speak();
guest = new Dog();
guest.speak();

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