Can an inner class override a final method from an outer class?

[Mark Moge]

I have this sample code

class A{
    final void sth(){}
    class A1{        
             void sth(){} // why can I write it without any problems?       
    }
}
class B extends A{
   void sth(){}  // a compile error because the sth() in A is final
} 

[Mike Simmons]

No, you can never override a final method. Period.

Mark Moge wrote:
[code]class A{
final void sth(){}
class A1{
void sth(){} // why can I write it without any problems?
}
}

Class A1 does not extend class A, so there is no overriding here. The two sth() methods are unrelated.

[Matthew Brown]

That's because the inner class A1 doesn't extend A. So the method sth() in A1 is nothing to do with the method sth() in A. It's purely coincidental that they have the same name, but it's not overriding it any more than if it was called xyz().

[Mike Simmons]

Wow, photo finish there.

[Mark Moge]

It's so obvious. Thank you guys I couldn't see it.

[Jim Hoglund]

Just to complete the picture, here is your code with the extends added.

class A{
    final void sth(){}
    class A1 extends A {   // extends A added here . . . 
             void sth(){}  // now this will not compile . . .        
    }
}

Jim ... ...

[Sahil Kapoor]

Inner classes never overrides ( Except when they extend) they hides the members. So no polymorphism for them !!!

[Mike Simmons]

Sahil, inner classes can override methods from a class they extend, therefore they do show polymorphism. Just like top-level classes.