Compiler Error while overriding method in Subclass...

[Mihir Patel]

When we override the method in the Subclass and provide it a more restrictive access modifier then why it give a compile time error and not a run time error?

for example: In below example why it gives comiple time error and not run time error.

Class A{
public void testMethod(){}
}

Class B extends A{
private void testMethod(){}
}

A objA = new A();
objA.testMethod();

[John Jai]

The compiler senses that at run time a B's instance can be assigned to an A's reference. Why do you think it should give a run time error?

[Matthew Brown]

Compile-time errors are much easier to find and fix than run-time errors. So if the compiler can see that something is an error then it will say so. And overriding with greater restrictions is an error.