Method Overriding & Method Overloading

 

In object-oriented programming (OOP), there are two important concepts that allow for code reuse and flexibility: method overriding and method overloading. In this article, we'll explore what these concepts are and how they work in Java.

Method Overriding

Method overriding is a feature that allows a subclass to provide a specific implementation of a method that is already provided by its parent class. When a subclass overrides a method, it provides its own implementation of the method that is used instead of the parent class's implementation.

Here's an example of method overriding in Java:

In this example, the Cat class extends the Animal class and overrides the makeSound() method. When you call makeSound() on an instance of Cat, it will print "Meow" instead of "The animal makes a sound".

The @Override annotation is used to indicate that the makeSound() method in Cat is intended to override the makeSound() method in Animal. This annotation is optional, but it's good practice to use it to avoid accidentally creating a new method instead of overriding an existing one.

Method Overloading

Method overloading is a feature that allows a class to have multiple methods with the same name but different parameters. When you call a method that has been overloaded, the Java compiler determines which version of the method to use based on the arguments you pass to it.

Here's an example of method overloading in Java:

In this example, the Calculator class has two add() methods, one that takes two int parameters and one that takes two double parameters. When you call add() with two int values, the first version of the method will be used. When you call it with two double values, the second version of the method will be used.

Method overloading can be very useful for creating methods that perform similar tasks but with different types of data. However, it's important to note that the methods must have different parameter lists in order to be considered overloaded.

Conclusion

Method overriding and method overloading are two important concepts in object-oriented programming that allow for code reuse and flexibility. With method overriding, a subclass can provide its own implementation of a method that is already provided by its parent class. With method overloading, a class can have multiple methods with the same name but different parameter lists. By understanding these concepts, you can write more flexible and efficient code in Java.