Question

Can I call a parent class overridden method with the child class object in java?

I tried below example

class First1
 {
   void show()
    {
    String msg="You are in first class";
    System.out.println(msg);
    }
 }   
 class second extends First1  
 {  
   void show()  
   {  
   String msg="You are in second class";  
   System.out.println(msg);          }  
   }  
 }
 class CallingMethod extends second  
 {  
   void show()  
   {  
    String msg="You are in the third class";  
    System.out.println(msg);  
   }  
    public static void main(String[] args)  
    {  
    CallingMethod cm=new CallingMethod();  
    cm.show();  
    }  

}

Now tell me if it is possible to print “I am in second class.” by using the object of CallingMethod class that is cm here in example and without using super keyword anywhere.

Answer 1

I assume you mean to call the method from outside of the subclass.

Then no, not possible in java, since an overriden method means changed behaviour that makes sense for the new class.

Inside of the class, you would use the super keyword in any case.

NOTE: using Reflection you can do things with objects, that the language itself does not allow.

NOTE: I tested this using Reflection, it does NOT work. But when you use C with JNI you might be able to do that…

//does not work
class YourClass
{
    public static void main(String[] args) throws SecurityException,
            NoSuchMethodException, IllegalArgumentException,
            IllegalAccessException, InvocationTargetException
    {
        CallingMethod cm = new CallingMethod();
        First1 f = new First1();
        // Method m = First1.class.getDeclaredMethod("show");
        Method m = First1.class.getMethod("show");
        m.invoke(f);
                    //output: You are in first class
        m.invoke(cm);
                    //output: You are in the third class
    }

}