Keywords and Classes

Modern Programming Tools And
Techniques-I
Lecture 9: This, Super & Final Keywords
Contents
• Object class
• super keyword
• final keyword
• final class
• static keyword
• this keyword
Object Class
 There is one special class, called Object, defined by Java.
 All other classes are subclasses of Object. i.e., Object is a
super-class of all other classes.
 A reference variable of type Object can refer to an object of
any other class.
 The Object class defines the basic state and behavior that all
objects must have.
 Arrays are implemented as classes, so a variable of type
Object can also refer to any array.
 In Object class, getClass( ), notify( ), notifyAll( ), and wait( )
are declared as final.
Methods in Object class
‘final’ Keyword
• ‘final’ keyword is used to:
– declare variables that can be assigned value only once.
final type identifier = expression;
– prevent overriding of a method.

final return_type methodName (arguments if any)
{
body;
}
– prevent inheritance from a class.

final class Class_Name
{
class body;
}
‘super’ Keyword
• ‘super’ keyword is used to:
– invoke the super-class constructor from the constructor
of a sub-class.
super (arguments if any);
– invoke the method of super-class on current object

from sub-class.
super.methodName (arguments if any);
– refer the super-class data member in case of name-

conflict between super and sub-class data members.
super.memberName;
‘static’ Keyword
• used to represent class members
• Variables can be declared with the “static” keyword.
static int y = 0;
• When a variable is declared with the keyword “static”, its called
a “class variable”.
• All instances share the same copy of the variable.
• A class variable can be accessed directly with the class, without
the need to create a instance.
• Note: There's no such thing as static classs. “static” in front of

class creates compilation error.
Example
static methods
• Methods can also be declared with the keyword “static”.
• When a method is declared static, it can be used without creating an
object.
class T2 {
static int triple (int n)
{return 3*n;}
}
class T1 {
public static void main(String[] arg)
{
System.out.println( T2.triple(4) );
T2 x1 = new T2();
System.out.println( x1.triple(5) );
}
}
• Methods declared with “static” keyword are called “class
methods”.
• Otherwise they are “instance methods”.
• Static Methods Cannot Access Non-Static Variables.
• The following gives a compilation error, unless x is also static.
class T2 {
int x = 3;
static int returnIt () { return x;}
}
class T1 {
public static void main(String[] arg) {
System.out.println( T2.returnIt() ); }
}
Properties of static & non-static method
‘this’ Keyword
• 'this' is used for pointing the current class instance.
• Within an instance method or a constructor, this is a reference to
the current object — the object whose method or constructor is
being called.
class ThisDemo1{
int a = 0;
int b = 0;
ThisDemo1(int x, int y)
{
this.a = x;
this.b = y;
}
public static void main(String [] args)

{
ThisDemo1 td = new ThisDemo1(10,12);
ThisDemo1 td1 = new ThisDemo1(100,23);
System.out.println(td.a);
System.out.println(td.B);
System.out.println(td1.a);
System.out.println(td1.B);
}
}
Chaining of constructors using this keyword
• Chaining of constructor means calling one constructor
from other constructor.
class ThisDemo{
public ThisDemo() {
this(10); System.out.println("First Constructor");
}
public ThisDemo(int a) // overloaded constructor
{
this(10,20); System.out.println("Second Constructor");
}
public ThisDemo( int a, int B) // another overloaded constructor
{
this(“Ravi Kant"); System.out.println("Third Constructor");
}
public ThisDemo(String s) // and still another
{
System.out.println("Fourth Constructor");
}
public static void main(String args[]) {
ThisDemo first = new ThisDemo();
}
}
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Modern Programming Tools And

– prevent overriding of a method.

– prevent inheritance from a class.

– invoke the method of super-class on current object

– refer the super-class data member in case of name-

• Note: There's no such thing as static classs. “static” in front of

public static void main(String [] args)

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