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These learning objects concern inheritance in Java. One class can be derived from another, inheriting its fields and methods.

Learning objects for inheritance

Concept Inheritance is an important technique for structuring object-oriented programs. Given a class (called a superclass ) it can be extended to a subclass . The subclass inherits all the fields of the superclass and it can addadditional fields. The subclass inherits methods of the superclass and it can add new methods or override the inherited methods with its own versions.

These source code of these learning objects can be found in inheritance.zip .

LO Topic Java Files (.java) Prerequisites
"Inheriting fields" Inheriting fields Inheritance01
"Inheriting methods" Inheriting and overriding methods Inheritance02 1
"Dynamic dispatching" Dynamic dispatching Inheritance03 2
"Downcasting" Downcasting Inheritance04 3
"Heterogeneous data structures" Heterogeneous data structures Inheritance05 4
"Abstract classes" Abstract classes Inheritance06 5
"Equals" Equals Inheritance07A, B, C 2
"Clone" Clone Inheritance08 2
"Overloading vs. overriding" Overloading vs. overriding Inheritance09 3

Program The running example is a framework for the simulation of moving particles. There is a class Particle with a field position that is updated by the method newPosition . There are three subclasses:

  • AParticle is derived directly from Particle and adds the field spin . The method newPosition is overridden.
  • BParticle is derived directly from Particle and adds the field charge . The method newPosition is not overridden.
  • CParticle is derived directly from BParticle and thus indirectly from AParticle . It adds the field strange ; the method newPosition is overridden.

For each program the following initialization is performed and will not be explicitly mentioned for each learning object; instead, the step“the objects are created” will be listed:

  • Variable are declared and assigned the null value.
  • Memory is allocated for each object's fields and are given defaultvalues. For a subclass, these fields include all fields of its superclasses.
  • In the constructors, a subclass calls super to initialize the fields declared by the superclasses and then initializes its own fields.

Tip: Use Animation / Run Until ... to skip over the animation of the initialization.

Tip: Several of the LOs will ask you to check that a certain version of a method is called. This can be done by looking at the source code in the left panel:the method called is highlighted in blue.

Inheriting fields

Concept Subclasses inherit all the fields of its superclasses; they can also add fields of their own.

Program: Inheritance01.java

// Learning Object Inheritance01 //    inheriting fieldsclass Particle {     int position;      Particle(int p) {        position = p;     }      void newPosition(int delta) {        position = position + delta;     }}  class AParticle extends Particle {     double spin;      AParticle(int p, double s) {        super(p);         spin = s;    }      void newPosition(int delta) {     if (spin < delta)             position = position + delta;    } }  class BParticle extends Particle {    int charge;      BParticle(int p, int c) {         super(p);        charge = c;     }}  class CParticle extends BParticle {     boolean strange;      CParticle(int p, int c, boolean s) {        super(p, c);         strange = s;    }      void newPosition(int delta) {         if (strange)            position = position * charge;     }}  class Inheritance01 {     public static void main(/*String[] args*/) {         Particle  p = new Particle(10);        AParticle a = new AParticle(20, 2.0);         BParticle b = new BParticle(30, 3);        CParticle c = new CParticle(40, 4, true);          int pPosition = p.position;         int aPosition = a.position;        double aSpin  = a.spin;         int bPosition = b.position;        int bCharge = b.charge;         int cPosition = c.position;        int cCharge = c.charge;         boolean cStrange = c.strange;    } }

Questions & Answers

A golfer on a fairway is 70 m away from the green, which sits below the level of the fairway by 20 m. If the golfer hits the ball at an angle of 40° with an initial speed of 20 m/s, how close to the green does she come?
Aislinn Reply
cm
tijani
what is titration
John Reply
what is physics
Siyaka Reply
A mouse of mass 200 g falls 100 m down a vertical mine shaft and lands at the bottom with a speed of 8.0 m/s. During its fall, how much work is done on the mouse by air resistance
Jude Reply
Can you compute that for me. Ty
Jude
what is the dimension formula of energy?
David Reply
what is viscosity?
David
what is inorganic
emma Reply
what is chemistry
Youesf Reply
what is inorganic
emma
Chemistry is a branch of science that deals with the study of matter,it composition,it structure and the changes it undergoes
Adjei
please, I'm a physics student and I need help in physics
Adjanou
chemistry could also be understood like the sexual attraction/repulsion of the male and female elements. the reaction varies depending on the energy differences of each given gender. + masculine -female.
Pedro
A ball is thrown straight up.it passes a 2.0m high window 7.50 m off the ground on it path up and takes 1.30 s to go past the window.what was the ball initial velocity
Krampah Reply
2. A sled plus passenger with total mass 50 kg is pulled 20 m across the snow (0.20) at constant velocity by a force directed 25° above the horizontal. Calculate (a) the work of the applied force, (b) the work of friction, and (c) the total work.
Sahid Reply
you have been hired as an espert witness in a court case involving an automobile accident. the accident involved car A of mass 1500kg which crashed into stationary car B of mass 1100kg. the driver of car A applied his brakes 15 m before he skidded and crashed into car B. after the collision, car A s
Samuel Reply
can someone explain to me, an ignorant high school student, why the trend of the graph doesn't follow the fact that the higher frequency a sound wave is, the more power it is, hence, making me think the phons output would follow this general trend?
Joseph Reply
Nevermind i just realied that the graph is the phons output for a person with normal hearing and not just the phons output of the sound waves power, I should read the entire thing next time
Joseph
Follow up question, does anyone know where I can find a graph that accuretly depicts the actual relative "power" output of sound over its frequency instead of just humans hearing
Joseph
"Generation of electrical energy from sound energy | IEEE Conference Publication | IEEE Xplore" ***ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7150687?reload=true
Ryan
what's motion
Maurice Reply
what are the types of wave
Maurice
answer
Magreth
progressive wave
Magreth
hello friend how are you
Muhammad Reply
fine, how about you?
Mohammed
hi
Mujahid
A string is 3.00 m long with a mass of 5.00 g. The string is held taut with a tension of 500.00 N applied to the string. A pulse is sent down the string. How long does it take the pulse to travel the 3.00 m of the string?
yasuo Reply
Who can show me the full solution in this problem?
Reofrir Reply
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Source:  OpenStax, Learning objects for java (with jeliot). OpenStax CNX. Dec 28, 2009 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col10915/1.2
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