Question

I am using Eclipse Build id: 20120614-1722.

I have an object class called “TOY1” and a function toString() within it. I previously know that when I call the

System.out.println(TOY1); 

It should return the address. However, and for some reason it is returning the toString() declared for my object without me specifying the @Override notation.

Is it safe to keep it that way? Or is this a new feature implemented in the specific build I have.

Thanks

EDIT

As asked this is part of my code:

public class TOY1 {

//irrelevant declarations

public String toString() {
String data;
data="Manufacturer=";
data+=manufact;
data+="DOP:";
data+=date_of_production;
return data;
}
}

When declaring TOY1_instance of TOY1 and then printing out using the System.out.printIn(TOY1_instance)

I am getting the actual data as opposed to some junk address.

My question is where did I override it no warning was shown and no extension overrides this class.

Answer 1

System.out.println(obj); is calling obj.toString() internally. It happens that the default implementation of toString(), if you don’t override it, returns some address-like value.

You can omit @Override annotation, but it’s safer to use it. It becomes especially useful when you think you are overriding while you aren’t because of tiny difference in signature. E.g.:

@Override
public String tostring() //...

won’t compile. Even more common mistake is wrong equals():

@Override
public boolean equals(TOY1 obj) //...

Do you see why? Without @Override it’s very easy to miss such a tremendous bug.