help with Virtual methods!!

[Ammar Salem]

Hello again friends,
what are virtual methods?? why do we need them? why, they are called Virtual? does that mean they do not exist? how they are invoked? I know that I have to show some effort people, but , it is not clear enough here in my book, I really could not grasp it at all.I can post my book explaination here but, i know it wouldnt help? I appreciate your help and effort.
Ammar salem

[Daesung Park]

I haven't heard of "virtual" method in Java. Do you mean that of C++, or abstract method of Java?

[Ammar Salem]

No Daesung Park , it is in my java book. and i dont know what to do with it
regards,

[Henry Wong]

A virtual method (or function) is a distinction that doesn't really exist in Java. In C++, a virtual function is a function/method whose dispatch is determined at runtime -- basically, call the method based on the type of the object, not the type of the reference (pointer).

In Java, (instance) method calls are always dispatched at runtime. In other words, all non-static methods are virtual methods.

Henry

[Ammar Salem]

thanks to all of you
respect,
Ammar

[Ilja Preuss]

With other words, virtual methods are methods that behave polymorphically. See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_function

[Ammar Salem]

thank you ,Ranchers

[Ammar Salem]

thank you,Ranchers
Regards
Ammar
[ January 23, 2008: Message edited by: Ammar Salem ]