Question

class A{
int a=10;   
public void show(){ 
    System.out.println("Show A: "+a);
    }
}

class B extends A{
public int b=20;    
public void show(){
    System.out.println("Show B: "+b);
    }
}



public class DynamicMethodDispatch {

    public static void main(String[] args) {

    A aObj = new A();       
    aObj.show();    //output - 10

    B bObj = new B();
    bObj.show();   //output - 20

    aObj = bObj;   //assigning the B obj to A..         
    aObj.show();  //output - 20 

    aObj = new B();
    aObj.show();  //output - 20
             System.out.println(bObj.b);  //output - 20 
    //System.out.println(aObj.b); //It is giving error



     }
}

In the above program i’m getting Error wen i try invoking aObj.b.
1.why i’m not able to acess that variable through the aObj though it is refering to class B??
2. why i’m able to acess the method show()?

Answer 1

You have to distinguish between the static type of aObj and the runtime type of aObj.

Code such as

A aObj = new B(); 

results in an aObj variable with static type A and runtime type B.

The compiler will only bother too look at the static type when deciding what to allow or not.

To your questions:

1.why i’m not able to acess that variable through the aObj though it is refering to class B??

Because there is (in general) no way for the compiler to know that aObj will refer to a B object at runtime, only that it will refer to some form of A object. Since .b is not available on all A objects, so the compiler will think “better safe than sorry” and disallow it.

2.why i’m able to acess the method show()?

Because this method is available in all A objects (if it’s not declared in the subclass, it is still inherited from A).