Why an compile error for this code?

[Chandra Bairi]

why is there a compile time error for the following code

class Tester {
void test(Object s) { System.out.println ("Object version"); }
void test(Tester s) { System.out.println ("Tester version"); }
void test(SubTester s) { System.out.println ("SubTester version"); }
// Not compilable any more if you uncomment the line
// since String and Tester are siblings
void test(String s) { System.out.println ("String version"); }
public static void main (String args[]) {
Tester c = new Tester ();
// Ambiguous, the most specific one which fit will be call
c.test (null); // SubTester version
c.test (new Object()); // Object version
}
}
class SubTester extends Tester{
}

[Angel Dobbs-Sciortino]

What error are you getting when you compile? Try Tester c = new SubTester ();

[Stan James]

This is your error?

Tester.java:13: reference to test is ambiguous, both method test(SubTester) in Tester and method test(java.lang.String) in Tester match
c.test (null); // SubTester version
 ^
1 error 

That's an interesting example. The compiler gives this error when null doesn't give it enough information to decide which method to call. Introduction of the String method makes two classes at the "leaf" level of specificity, not what I'd call siblings but maybe peers. I actually expected the error without String, and was a bit surprised at how this worked.