Overriding private or static method in Java

Question

How can I override a private or static method in Java?

Answer 1

You cannot override a private or static method in Java. If you create a similar method with same return type and same method arguments in child class then it will hide the super class method; this is known as method hiding. Similarly, you cannot override a private method in sub class because it’s not accessible there. What you can do is create another private method with the same name in the child class. Let’s take a look at the example below to understand it better.

class Base { private static void display() { System.out.println("Static or class method from Base"); } public void print() { System.out.println("Non-static or instance method from Base"); } class Derived extends Base { private static void display() { System.out.println("Static or class method from Derived"); } public void print() { System.out.println("Non-static or instance method from Derived"); } public class test { public static void main(String args[]) { Base obj= new Derived(); obj1.display(); obj1.print(); } }

Answer 2

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
      ParentClass pc = new ChildClass();
      pc.display();
  }
}

public class ParentClass{
  public static void display(){
    System.out.println("hello from parent static-display");
  }
  public void show(){
    System.out.println("hello from parent non-static-show");
  }
}
public class ChildClass extends ParentClass{
  public static void display(){
    System.out.println("hello from child static-display");
  }
  public void show(){
    System.out.println("hello from child non-static-show");
  }
}

Output:

hello from parent static-display

Explanation:

Here, we are creating an object for the parent class and referring to the child class which both has static method, since we cannot create object for static method, we are now creating an object and then pointing to child, so the parent class will hide the static method in the child class(method hiding).

Fun way to remember:

point no:1 creating an object for static method is wrong

point no:2 Okay, you created an object and referring to the child 

ParentClass pc = new ChildClass();
pc.display();

point no:3 Parent class will say, I should not have let you create the object in the first place yet, I allowed you to create but now you are going to kill(override)me. I can't bear it, I will block you(method hiding)