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Basic Question.

 
Ranch Hand
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Hi,

The following question was in a mock paper. Could you please tell me why it is ending in compilation error? The error says:

TestAll.java: 5: cannot find symbol
symbol : constructor TestSuper()
location: class TestSuper
class TestSub extends TestSuper{ }




class TestSuper
{
TestSuper(int i) { }
}
class TestSub extends TestSuper{ }
class TestAll
{
public static void main (String [] args)
{
new TestSub();
}
}
 
Java Cowboy
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This question has to do with the following rule.

Java Language Specification section 8.8.9:

If a class contains no constructor declarations, then a default constructor that takes no parameters is automatically provided:

  • If the class being declared is the primordial class Object, then the default constructor has an empty body.
  • Otherwise, the default constructor takes no parameters and simply invokes the superclass constructor with no arguments.

  • A compile-time error occurs if a default constructor is provided by the compiler but the superclass does not have an accessible constructor that takes no arguments.


    Now, let's look at your example.

    Your class TestSuper has a constructor that takes an int. The compiler will not automatically add a default constructor to class TestSuper, because there is already a constructor in the class.

    Your class TestSub does not have a constructor declaration. So the compiler will automatically add a default constructor to class TestSub, which will invoke TestSuper's no-args constructor.

    The problem is in that last part: class TestSuper doesn't have a no-args constructor, so you get an an error.
    [ August 19, 2007: Message edited by: Jesper Young ]
     
    Suresh Rajadurai
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    Hi Jasper,

    Thank you so much. I really got the exact picture of the problem. I appreciate your reply. Thank you once again.

    Suresh
     
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