Question for variable initialization order

[avseq anthoy]

    
class Parent
{
    static String name= "Parent";

    void showName()
    {
        System.out.println( "Parent," + name+ " " );
    }

    Parent()
    {
        showName();
    }
}

class Child extends Parent
{
    String name= "Child";

    void showName()
    {
        System.out.println( "Child," + name+ " " );
    }

    Child()
    {
        showName();
    }
}

public static void main( String[] args )
{
  Child c = new Child();
}

I think the output is
Parent,Parent
Child ,Child.
But the real output is
Child, null
Child,Child

I think the class initialzation order is :
1. the static variable
2. super's member variable
3. super's constructor
4. child's member vaiable
5. child's constuctor

Are there any thing wrong for the order?
I think the parent's constructor will be call before the child's constuctor , so the showName function in the Parent will be call fisrt.
But why the showName function in Child will be call first , although the function is override in the Child class.
Can somebody explain it to me why I think wrong.

Tks in advance

[Rob Spoor]

The problem is that when showName is called in Parent's constructor, it is calling the overridden showName() method of class Child.

Your initialization order is right. However, Child's showName is already called at step 3 (because it overrides Parent.showName) before name is initialized at step 4. That's why it's null.

We've had a similar thread about this just this week, either here or in our Java in General forum. Maybe you can find and read that one too.

[avseq anthoy]

tks for your reply.
But I was confused that when the parent's constructor was called , the child class has not initialized.
Why the parent's constructor can call the child's method?

Rob Prime wrote:The problem is that when showName is called in Parent's constructor, it is calling the overridden showName() method of class Child.

Your initialization order is right. However, Child's showName is already called at step 3 (because it overrides Parent.showName) before name is initialized at step 4. That's why it's null.

We've had a similar thread about this just this week, either here or in our Java in General forum. Maybe you can find and read that one too.

[Rob Spoor]

avseq anthoy wrote:tks for your reply.

Please UseRealWords: "thanks".

But I was confused that when the parent's constructor was called , the child class has not initialized.
Why the parent's constructor can call the child's method?

Because the method is overridden, and all polymorphism rules still hold, even when a method is called from a constructor. That's why it's a bad idea to call a method that can be overridden from a constructor. If you ever do this then document it, so if a sub class is created the developer knows not to rely on fields being instantiated.

[avseq anthoy]

I appreciate your reply. Thanks for your enthusiasm.
The reply is very helpful.

Rob Prime wrote:

avseq anthoy wrote:tks for your reply.

Please UseRealWords: "thanks".

But I was confused that when the parent's constructor was called , the child class has not initialized.
Why the parent's constructor can call the child's method?

Because the method is overridden, and all polymorphism rules still hold, even when a method is called from a constructor. That's why it's a bad idea to call a method that can be overridden from a constructor. If you ever do this then document it, so if a sub class is created the developer knows not to rely on fields being instantiated.

[Campbell Ritchie]

Too difficult a question for "beginning". Moving thread.