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Questions and Answers
What happens if a child class does not define any constructors and the parent class lacks a no-argument constructor?
What happens if a child class does not define any constructors and the parent class lacks a no-argument constructor?
What is the purpose of the 'final' modifier when applied to a class?
What is the purpose of the 'final' modifier when applied to a class?
Which statement is true regarding method overriding in Java?
Which statement is true regarding method overriding in Java?
In Java, if a superclass constructor is called with the 'super()' command, what is the requirement for its placement in the child class constructor?
In Java, if a superclass constructor is called with the 'super()' command, what is the requirement for its placement in the child class constructor?
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What is true about the inheritance hierarchy in Java?
What is true about the inheritance hierarchy in Java?
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What is the purpose of the default constructor in Java?
What is the purpose of the default constructor in Java?
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How is constructor chaining achieved in Java?
How is constructor chaining achieved in Java?
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What does encapsulation enable in object-oriented programming?
What does encapsulation enable in object-oriented programming?
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Which of the following is a characteristic of immutable classes in Java?
Which of the following is a characteristic of immutable classes in Java?
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What is the function of a mutator method in encapsulation?
What is the function of a mutator method in encapsulation?
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Which statement about inheritance in Java is true?
Which statement about inheritance in Java is true?
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Which rules must be followed when implementing encapsulation in Java?
Which rules must be followed when implementing encapsulation in Java?
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What is indicated by the 'this' keyword in the context of constructors?
What is indicated by the 'this' keyword in the context of constructors?
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Study Notes
Constructors
- Constructors are used in creating objects of a class using the
new
keyword - If no constructors are defined in a class, Java provides a default constructor with an empty parameter list and body
- The
this
keyword is used to reference instance variables with the same name as constructor parameters - Constructor overloading occurs when constructors have different parameter types
- Constructor chaining is when a constructor calls another constructor with a greater number of parameters using the
this
keyword - The
this()
call must be the first statement in the constructor
Encapsulation
- Describes the ability of an object to hide its data and methods
- Benefits include reusable programs and restricted access to only public features
- In Java, a class encapsulates fields (state) and methods (actions)
- Fields are encapsulated by declaring instance variables as private and methods as public
- Accessor methods are public methods that return data from a private instance variable
- Mutator methods are public methods that modify data stored in private instance variables
- Instance variables are declared private
- Getter method names start with
get
(unless dealing with booleans) - Getter method names start with
is
if the property is a boolean - Setter method names start with
set
Immutable Classes
- Remain unchanged after construction
- To make a class immutable, remove setter methods and use the constructor for setting values
- Immutable classes are thread-safe by design
Inheritance
- Allows a class to inherit attributes (fields) and behaviors (methods) from another class
- A derived class, also known as a subclass or child class, inherits from a superclass, base class, or parent class
- Java supports multiple levels of inheritance where a subclass may extend another class which extends another class
- Java supports single inheritance where a class may inherit from only one direct parent class
- Multiple inheritance (extending multiple classes) is not allowed
- All Java classes inherit from the
Object
class which has no parent classes - To prevent a class from being extended, mark the class with the
final
modifier - Private fields are not accessible to subclasses even if the superclass is public
Rules in Defining Constructors
- The first statement of every constructor is either a call to another constructor within the class using
this()
or a call to a constructor in the direct parent class usingsuper()
- The
super()
call can only be used as the first statement of the constructor - If no
super()
call is declared in a constructor, Java will insert a no-argumentsuper()
as the first statement - If the parent class does not have a no-argument constructor and the child class does not define any constructors, the compiler will throw an error (due to the invisible no-argument
super()
trying to call the parent constructor) - If the parent class does not have a no-argument constructor, the compiler requires an explicit call to a parent constructor in each child constructor
Calling Constructors and Overriding Methods
- The parent constructor is always executed before the child constructor
- Method overriding allows a child class to define a new version of an existing method using the parent class's definition
- To override a method, declare a new method with the same name, parameter list, and return type as the method in the parent class
- The overriding method in the subclass must be at least as accessible as the method in the parent class
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Description
Test your knowledge on Java constructors and encapsulation principles. This quiz covers topics like constructor overloading, chaining, and the encapsulation of data and methods within a class. Enhance your understanding of these crucial concepts in object-oriented programming.