Question on Polymorphism

[milind k das]

Hello I started reading a java book. Introduction to Java programming by liang. I have question in polymorphism section of the book. Below are the statements from the book.

An object of a subclass can be used wherever its superclass object is
used. This is commonly known as polymorphism (from a Greek word meaning “many
forms”). In simple terms, polymorphism means that a variable of a supertype can refer to
a subtype object.

Polymorphism means that a variable of a supertype can refer to a subtype object.

I believe superclass cannot be of subclass type. While subclass can be of superclass type and holds superclass type object too with subclass object.

If this is the case, how can superclass type variable can hold subclass type object? Is it not contradicting? Sorry if its basic, please explain in simple terms

Consider below example:

public class MasterExperiment {
    private static boolean accessedProfile;
    private static double rateSkillSet[][];
    public MasterExperiment() {
        MasterExperiment.accessedProfile = true;
        System.out.println("I'm MasterExperiment");
    }
    MasterExperiment(double rating[][]) {

    }
    public void setAccessedProfile(boolean accessed) {
        accessedProfile = accessed;
    }
    public boolean getAccessedProfile() {
        return  accessedProfile;
    }
    public MasterExperiment masterObject() {
        return this;
    }
 }

public class Experiment extends MasterExperiment {
    private static double skillSetRate;
    Experiment () {
        System.out.println("I'm Experiment");
    }
    public void rateSkillSet(double rating) {
        setAccessedProfile(true);
    }
}

public class TestExperiment {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Experiment experiment = (Experiment) new MasterExperiment();
        MasterExperiment masterExperiment = new Experiment();
//        System.out.println("Experiment Ref: "+experiment+" & MasterExperiment Ref: "+experiment.masterObject());
    }
}

In the code, may I know what is the difference in two statements,

        Experiment experiment = (Experiment) new MasterExperiment();
        MasterExperiment masterExperiment = new Experiment();

And how are the objects allocated and their behavior in above two statements.

[Stephan van Hulst]

Welcome to CodeRanch!

dasvis das wrote:I believe superclass cannot be of subclass type. While subclass can be of superclass type and holds superclass type object too with subclass object.

Polymorphism is about what types you can assign to variables. Polymorphism means you can assign an object of type Experiment to a variable of type MasterExperiment.

It also means that when you call a method on such a variable, it will invoke the behavior defined in the subtype that you assigned, not the behavior that you defined in the supertype that you used to declare the variable with.

In the code, may I know what is the difference in two statements,

        Experiment experiment = (Experiment) new MasterExperiment();
        MasterExperiment masterExperiment = new Experiment();

The second statement demonstrates polymorphism. It shows you can assign an Experiment to a variable of type MasterExperiment.

The first statement just demonstrates that the compiler will trust you blindly if you tell it to cast an object, even if it will cause an exception at runtime. You would never write a statement like that. The following example is better:

MasterExperiment masterExperiment = new Experiment();
Experiment experiment = (Experiment) masterExperiment;

This program won't throw an exception at runtime, because masterExperiment really does hold a reference to an Experiment (this is polymorphism) and so you can cast the reference back to Experiment and assign it to a variable of type Experiment.

[Campbell Ritchie]

Stephan van Hulst wrote:Welcome to CodeRanch!

Agree; welcome (again).

. . . when you call a method on such a variable . . .

Remember that polymorphism can only be seen at work in instance methods. It doesn't apply to fields, nor to static methods.

[milind k das]

@Stephan van Hulst Thank you for explanation. Your explanation gave me some clarity. Still confused. But I will reading again this topic more detail. Please such some source with explanation in detail including how JVM handles.

@Campbell Ritchie Thank you for posting that. I was about to post my second question on this. Can you elaborate on this why it's not applied on data fields and static methods? Thank you

[Campbell Ritchie]

That is how the language was designed. Bruce Eckel (Thinking in Java) says that access to class members (as opposed to object members) is determined statically at compile time, which is why they are called static. Access to instance methods and nothing else is determined dynamically at run time by finding the location in the appropriate Class<XXX> object where the method's implementation resides. Result: you shoul  always call static members by ClassName.memberName, and you should never write a field with the same name as a superclass field.
I am afraid that, if you want more information why, you would have to find documents from the development stage of Java® back in 1995/1996, or ask somebody who remembers that development process.

[fred rosenberger]

Remember that there is the reference type, and the object type.  The reference is the label you apply to an object.  to slightly change your example, let's assume we have

public class Mammal{}
public class Dog extends Mammal {}

Dog chihuahua = (Dog) new Mammal();
Mammal myPet = new Dog();

in line 4, you create a generic Mammal object.  You tell java via the cast "I know it doesn't look like a dog, but it really is". The compiler believes you, but at run time, you may encounter issues.

In line 5, you create an actual Dog object, so you don't need a cast.  And since a dog IS-A mammal, everything is fine.  the compiler knows that Dogs can do everything Mammals can.  Even though you have given the actual object a "Mammal" label, that's ok.

(as usual, I'm writing this pre-coffee, so if I've made a mistake, someone will correct me soon).

[milind k das]

package Chapter9;

import java.util.Date;

public class Account {
    private int id;
    private double balance;
    private double annualInterestRate;
    private Date dateCreated;
    public Account() {
        this.id = 0;
        this.balance = 0;
        this.annualInterestRate = 0;
        this.dateCreated = new Date();
    }
    public Account(int id, double initialBalance) {
        this.id = id;
        this.balance = initialBalance;
        this.dateCreated = new Date();
    }

    public Date getDateCreated() {
        return dateCreated;
    }
    public int getId() {
        return id;
    }

    public void setId(int id) {
        this.id = id;
    }

    public double getBalance() {
        return balance;
    }

    public void setBalance(double balance) {
        this.balance = balance;
    }

    public double getAnnualInterestRate() {
        return annualInterestRate;
    }

    public void setAnnualInterestRate(double annualInterestRate) {
        this.annualInterestRate = annualInterestRate;
    }
    public double getMonthlyInterestRate() {
        return (annualInterestRate)/12;
    }
    public double getMonthlyInteest() {
        return getMonthlyInterestRate()*balance;
    }
    public void withdaraw(double amount) {
        this.balance = this.balance-amount;
    }
    public void deposit(double amount) {
        this.balance = this.balance+amount;
    }

    @Override
    public String toString() {
        return "Account{" +
                "id=" + id +
                ", balance=" + balance +
                ", annualInterestRate=" + annualInterestRate +
                ", dateCreated=" + dateCreated +
                '}';
    }
}


package Chapter11;

import Chapter9.Account;

public class Problem_11_3 {
}

class CheckingAccount extends Account {
    private double overdraftLimit;
    public CheckingAccount() {
        this.overdraftLimit = 100;
    }
    @Override
    public void withdraw(double amount) {
        if(amount < overdraftLimit) {
            setBalance(getBalance() -amount);
        }
    }
}

In the above code, I have Account class in different Package - Chapter9 and class CheckingAccount is in package Chapter11. I have imported the Account and all methods in Account are public. However, in class CheckingAccount, even though the withdraw method I want to override has same signature, @Override is showing error "Method does not override method from its superclass". Please let me know why its not letting me override? What's wrong here?

[Carey Brown]

Typo error. Check your method names.

[milind k das]

Carey Brown wrote:Typo error. Check your method names.

ooops!! Thank you very much!

[Campbell Ritchie]

milind k das wrote:

package Chapter9;

import java.util.Date;
...

. . .

No. Don't use java.util.Date. It is badly written. Use one of the  datatypes described here in the Java™ Tutorials.
Use lower‑case writing for package names.

[Stephan van Hulst]

Don't use floating point values for anything other than imprecise measurements. Your account balance should be an integer and your interest rate either an integer or a BigDecimal.

IDs should be strings, not integers.

Make the ID and creation time of an account final.

Make all methods that are not intended to be overridden final. When in doubt, make it final.

Perform parameter validation in your mutators. You should not be able to withdraw or deposit negative amounts. Also, check for integer overflows.

Validate class invariants by throwing exceptions. When you try to withdraw more than the overdraft limit allows, throw an exception.

Don't use long sequences of string concatenations. Use a formatter instead.

public abstract class Account {

  private final String id;

  private final LocalDateTime creationTime;

  private BigInteger balanceInCents = BigInteger.ZERO;

  private BigDecimal annualInterestRate = BigDecimal.ZERO;

  protected Account(String id, LocalDateTime creationTime) {
    if (id == null)
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("The ID may not be null.");

    if (creationTime == null)
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("The creation time may not be null.");

    this.id = id.strip();
    this.creationTime = creationTime;

    if (this.id.isEmpty() || !this.id.equals(id))
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("The ID must be a non-empty stripped string.");
  }

  public final String id() {
    return id;
  }

  public final LocalDateTime creationTime() {
    return creationTime;
  }

  public final BigInteger balanceInCents() {
    return balanceInCents;
  }

  protected final void setBalanceInCents(BigInteger balanceInCents) {
    if (balanceInCents == null)
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("The balance may not be null.");

    this.balanceInCents = balanceInCents;
  }

  public final BigDecimal annualInterestRate() {
    return annualInterestRate;
  }

  public final void setAnnualInterestRate(BigDecimal annualInterestRate) {
    if (annualInterestRate == null)
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("The annual interest rate may not be null.");

    this.annualInterestRate = annualInterestRate;
  }

  public abstract void depositCents(BigInteger amountInCents);

  public abstract void withdrawCents(BigInteger amountInCents);

  @Override
  public String toString() {
    var balanceWithTwoDecimals = new BigDecimal(balanceInCents).divide(BigDecimal.valueOf(100), 2, RoundingMode.UNNECESSARY);

    var annualInterestRateAsPercentage = annualInterestRate.multiply(BigDecimal.valueOf(100)).stripTrailingZeros();

    return String.format(
      Locale.ROOT,
      "Account { id: \"%s\", balance: %s, annualInterestRate: %%%s, creationTime: %tF %4$tT }",
      id, balanceWithTwoDecimals, annualInterestRateAsPercentage, creationTime
    );
  }
}

final class CheckingAccount extends Account {

  private static final BigInteger OVERDRAFT_LIMIT_IN_CENTS = BigInteger.valueOf(100_00);

  CheckingAccount(String id, LocalDateTime creationTime) {
    super(id, creationTime);
  }

  @Override
  public void depositCents(BigInteger amountInCents) {
    if (amountInCents == null)
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("The amount may not be null.");

    if (amountInCents.compareTo(BigInteger.ZERO) < 0)
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("The amount may not be negative.");

    setBalanceInCents(balanceInCents().add(amountInCents));
  }

  @Override
  public void withdrawCents(BigInteger amountInCents) {
    if (amountInCents == null)
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("The amount may not be null.");

    if (amountInCents.compareTo(BigInteger.ZERO) < 0)
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("The amount may not be negative.");

    var newBalanceInCents = balanceInCents().subtract(amountInCents);

    if (newBalanceInCents.compareTo(OVERDRAFT_LIMIT_IN_CENTS.negate()) < 0)
      throw new IllegalStateException("The current balance is too low to withdraw the given amount.");

    setBalanceInCents(newBalanceInCents);
  }
}

[milind k das]

package Chapter11;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Scanner;
import java.util.Collections;

public class Problem_11_7 extends ShuffleInteger {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);
        ArrayList<Integer> list = new ArrayList<>();
        System.out.println("Enter the numbers: ");
        for(int i = input.nextInt(); i != 0; i = input.nextInt()) {
            list.add(i);
        }
        shuffleNum(list);
    }
}

class ShuffleInteger {
    public static void shuffleNum(ArrayList<Integer> list) {
        Collections.shuffle(list);
        System.out.println(list);
    }
}

In this program, System.out.println(list); statement is printing the elements's values in list. My question is, isn't list a reference variable to ArrayList? Is it not supposed to print reference value of "list"?

[milind k das]

Stephan van Hulst wrote:Don't use floating point values for anything other than imprecise measurements. Your account balance should be an integer and your interest rate either an integer or a BigDecimal.

IDs should be strings, not integers.

Make the ID and creation time of an account final.

Make all methods that are not intended to be overridden final. When in doubt, make it final.

Perform parameter validation in your mutators. You should not be able to withdraw or deposit negative amounts. Also, check for integer overflows.

Validate class invariants by throwing exceptions. When you try to withdraw more than the overdraft limit allows, throw an exception.

Don't use long sequences of string concatenations. Use a formatter instead.

public abstract class Account {

  private final String id;

  private final LocalDateTime creationTime;

  private BigInteger balanceInCents = BigInteger.ZERO;

  private BigDecimal annualInterestRate = BigDecimal.ZERO;

  protected Account(String id, LocalDateTime creationTime) {
    if (id == null)
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("The ID may not be null.");

    if (creationTime == null)
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("The creation time may not be null.");

    this.id = id.strip();
    this.creationTime = creationTime;

    if (this.id.isEmpty() || !this.id.equals(id))
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("The ID must be a non-empty stripped string.");
  }

  public final String id() {
    return id;
  }

  public final LocalDateTime creationTime() {
    return creationTime;
  }

  public final BigInteger balanceInCents() {
    return balanceInCents;
  }

  protected final void setBalanceInCents(BigInteger balanceInCents) {
    if (balanceInCents == null)
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("The balance may not be null.");

    this.balanceInCents = balanceInCents;
  }

  public final BigDecimal annualInterestRate() {
    return annualInterestRate;
  }

  public final void setAnnualInterestRate(BigDecimal annualInterestRate) {
    if (annualInterestRate == null)
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("The annual interest rate may not be null.");

    this.annualInterestRate = annualInterestRate;
  }

  public abstract void depositCents(BigInteger amountInCents);

  public abstract void withdrawCents(BigInteger amountInCents);

  @Override
  public String toString() {
    var balanceWithTwoDecimals = new BigDecimal(balanceInCents).divide(BigDecimal.valueOf(100), 2, RoundingMode.UNNECESSARY);

    var annualInterestRateAsPercentage = annualInterestRate.multiply(BigDecimal.valueOf(100)).stripTrailingZeros();

    return String.format(
      Locale.ROOT,
      "Account { id: \"%s\", balance: %s, annualInterestRate: %%%s, creationTime: %tF %4$tT }",
      id, balanceWithTwoDecimals, annualInterestRateAsPercentage, creationTime
    );
  }
}

final class CheckingAccount extends Account {

  private static final BigInteger OVERDRAFT_LIMIT_IN_CENTS = BigInteger.valueOf(100_00);

  CheckingAccount(String id, LocalDateTime creationTime) {
    super(id, creationTime);
  }

  @Override
  public void depositCents(BigInteger amountInCents) {
    if (amountInCents == null)
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("The amount may not be null.");

    if (amountInCents.compareTo(BigInteger.ZERO) < 0)
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("The amount may not be negative.");

    setBalanceInCents(balanceInCents().add(amountInCents));
  }

  @Override
  public void withdrawCents(BigInteger amountInCents) {
    if (amountInCents == null)
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("The amount may not be null.");

    if (amountInCents.compareTo(BigInteger.ZERO) < 0)
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("The amount may not be negative.");

    var newBalanceInCents = balanceInCents().subtract(amountInCents);

    if (newBalanceInCents.compareTo(OVERDRAFT_LIMIT_IN_CENTS.negate()) < 0)
      throw new IllegalStateException("The current balance is too low to withdraw the given amount.");

    setBalanceInCents(newBalanceInCents);
  }
}

Thank you very much. this has been helpful.