Mock trip up question Explained, Shadowing vs Overriding

[Robert Elbourn]

class Alpha {
int over =1;
public int getOver() {
return over;
}
}

class Beta extends Alpha {
int over = 2;
public int getOver() {
return over;
}
}

public class Gamma extends Beta {
int over = 3;
public static void main(String[] args) {
new Gamma().go();
}

public int getOver() {
return over;
}

void go() {
Beta b = new Gamma();
Alpha a = new Gamma();
//statement 1
System.out.println(super.over+" "+b.over+ " "+a.over);
//statement 2
System.out.println(super.getOver()+" "+b.getOver()+ " "+a.getOver());
}
}

I fell for this one last night in the mock test, as with overriding, VARIABLES are not overridden, only METHODS are. I have added in the methods to illustrate the perceived expected response of overriding and polymorphism, you should be able to get this running on your pc.

Statement 1 is part of the test, and the result looks like it could be 2 3 3 however its actually 2 2 1, as the object is referring to variables and not methods. However Statement 2 shows what we might have expected with overridden methods. 2 3 3. And you can not clearly see the difference.

The fact that the variable "over" is repeated is an example of shadowing

[vatsalya rao]

A nice one Robert!!.Thanks for posting

[Fu Dong Jia]

Thanks!

[Jesper de Jong]

Robert, please quote your sources.

[Robert Elbourn]

Source is Mock Exam on K&B disk Question 31:51