Question

I have a generic, abstract class (SuperClass). I want to have there a main method, that would be a default main for each subclass and would do the same, but with proper subclass object that derived and called it.

Like this:

 public abstract class SuperClass {

    // some code here...

    public static void main(String args[]) {
       // here instantiate the subclass
       // extending this SuperClass, and call
       // some methods
    }
 }

 public SubClass extends SuperClass {
      // here just implement some 
      // abstract methods from SupeClass
      // and NOT implement main()
 }

And now I would like to be able to run the SubClass as standalone program, that executes the default main derived from the SuperClass. How to instantiate the proper SubClass object in the main method?

• I cannot do just new because in SuperClass I don’t know the actual name of a SubClass
• I cannot do it using reflection, because I cannot get the name of the SubClass from a static method implemented in the SuperClass (Getting the name of a sub-class from within a super-class)

In C++, AFAIR, there is something like virtual modifier for a method, that I guess would be useful here. How to do in in Java?

Answer 1

Static methods are not inherited, if you want your subclass to be your application entry point, program the main method in the subclass.