Method Overriding confusion

[Anand Sidharth]

I came across the following example recently
public class A
{
public void method(Object o)
{
System.out.println("Object Verion");
}
public void method(String s)
{
System.out.println("String Version");
}
public static void main(String args[])
{
A question = new A();
question.method(null);
}
}
In the above case I found that the output is
---"String Version".
I just need to know the why the method(String) is called.
(I thought there would a ambiguity error.)

[Thomas De Vos]

The compiler will look to the most specific version. String is more specific then Object.
You can call the Object method if you want by casting the argument null.
method((Object)null) will use the method with the Object.
[ January 08, 2004: Message edited by: Thomas De Vos ]
[ January 08, 2004: Message edited by: Thomas De Vos ]

[Anand Sidharth]

Thanks ,
But what do you mean by "more specific"??

[Thomas De Vos]

I meant with more specific that the String class inherits from the Object class. With other words the Object class is a superclass of String.

 java.lang.Object
+--java.lang.String 

The compiler has to use some rules for choosing the correct method. This is done form bottom to up in the class hierarchy.