mock test question need help

[prasanthi kothapa]

hi guys,
this block of code compiles succesfully:
i thought that the constructor in Class B has a return
type, so it should not compile.
please tell where i am going wrong??
class A {
public A() {}
public A(int i) { this ();}
}
class B extends A{
public boolean B(String msg) {return false;}
}
class C extends B{
private C( ) { super( );}
public C(string msg) { this( ) ;}
public C(int i) { }
}
thanx,
prasanthi
}

[maha anna]

Prasanthi,
I also got fooled once like this. Please see the code once again. In class B the code you doubted is NOT a constructor. It is a regular METHOD which returns a boolean.
regds
maha anna
[This message has been edited by maha anna (edited November 07, 2000).]

[Sasikanth Malladi]

Maha, ??? What makes the method not a constructor? If lesser mortals had said, I'd have doubted their word!!
Please explain why this is not a constructor.
Shashi

[TARIT DASGUPTA]

Maha is right.
Constructors may have access specifiers but CONSTRUCTORS MUST NOT HAVE ANY RETURN TYPE. In class B, it is not a constructor but a general method with the name of the class itself.

[prasanthi kothapa]

hi maha anna,

please explain why it's not a constructor.
i am very confused about it..
i will very grateful if you can help me on this..
thanks..
prasanthi

[Aparna Narayanan]

Hi Prasanthi,
When I try to instantiate an object of type B with a string as argument, it says, "Wrong number of arguments in the constructor of B", which means to say that it is not considering this as a constructor. Mebbe because the signature indicates a return value? Someone can help???
Thanks,
Aparna

[Oliver Grass]

Hi Prasanthi,
Maha is right. The JLS states a constructor as "the constructor declaration looks just like a method declaration that has no result type."
So the presence of a return type indicates that it CAN'T be a constructor.
hope that helps
Oliver

[Sagar Sharma]

hi,
just remember this.
any function with the same name of the class and has a return type specified in the declaration is treated as a method. this also includes void.

sagar

[maha anna]

Prasanthini,
Sorry for the late reply. The difference bet a constructor and a regular method is the 'RETURN TYPE' at the definition. A constructor CAN NOT have a return type. A regular method can have the SAME NAME as the class, but SHOULD have a return type.
So , bottom line a constructor can't have any RETURN TYPE.
regds
maha anna