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Overriding in Java

Last Updated : 22 Apr, 2025

Overriding in Java occurs when a subclass or child class implements a method that is already defined in the superclass or base class. When a subclass provides its own version of a method that is already defined in its superclass, we call it method overriding. The subclass method must match the parent class method's name, parameters, and return type.

Rules for Overriding:

Name, parameters, and return type must match the parent method.
Java picks which method to run, based on the actual object type, not just the variable type.
Static methods cannot be overridden.
The @Override annotation catches mistakes like typos in method names.

Example: In the code below, Dog overrides the move() method from Animal but keeps eat() as it is. When we call move() on a Dog object, it runs the dog-specific version.

Java

// Example of Overriding in Java
class Animal {
    // Base class
    void move() { System.out.println(
      "Animal is moving."); }
    void eat() { System.out.println(
      "Animal is eating."); }
}

class Dog extends Animal {
    @Override void move()
    { // move method from Base class is overriden in this
      // method
        System.out.println("Dog is running.");
    }
    void bark() { System.out.println("Dog is barking."); }
}

public class Geeks {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        Dog d = new Dog();
        d.move(); // Output: Dog is running.
        d.eat(); // Output: Animal is eating.
        d.bark(); // Output: Dog is barking.
    }
}

Output

Dog is running.
Animal is eating.
Dog is barking.

Explanation: The Animal class defines base functionalities like move() and eat(). The Dog class inherits from Animal and overrides the move() method to provide a specific behavior Dog is running. Both classes can access their own methods. When creating a Dog object, calling move() executes the overridden method.

Method Overriding in Java

Note: Method overriding is a key concept in Java that enables Run-time polymorphism. It allows a subclass to provide its specific implementation for a method inherited from its parent class.

Example: This example demonstrates runtime polymorphism in Java, where the show() method is overridden in the Child class, and the method called depends on the object type at runtime.

Java

// Java program to demonstrate
// method overriding in java
class Parent {
    // base class or superclass which is going to overriden
    // below
    void show() { System.out.println("Parent's show()"); }
}
// Inherited class
class Child extends Parent {
    // This method overrides show() of Parent
    @Override void show()
    {
        System.out.println("Child's show()");
    }
}
// Driver class
class Geeks {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        // If a Parent type reference refers
        // to a Parent object, then Parent's
        // show is called
        Parent obj1 = new Parent();
        obj1.show();

        // If a Parent type reference refers
        // to a Child object Child's show()
        // is called. This is called RUN TIME
        // POLYMORPHISM.
        Parent obj2 = new Child();
        obj2.show();
    }
}

Output

Parent's show()
Child's show()

Explanation: In this code, the Child class inherits from the Parent class and overrides the show() method, providing its own implementation. When a Parent reference points to a Child object, the Child's overridden show() method is executed at runtime, showcasing the principle of polymorphism in Java.

Why Override Methods?

The key reasons to use method overriding in Java are listed below:

Change how a parent class method works in a subclass, for example, a Dog moves by running, while a Fish might swim.
It enables polymorphism, that let one method call adapt to different objects at runtime.
Reuse method names logically instead of creating new ones for minor changes.

Rules for Java Method Overriding

1. Access Modifiers in overriding

A subclass can make an overridden method more accessible, e.g., upgrade protected to public, but not less e.g., downgrade public to private. Trying to hide a method this way causes compiler errors.

Example: Below, Child legally overrides m2() with broader public access, but cannot override m1() because it’s private in the parent.

Java

// A Simple Java program to demonstrate
// Overriding and Access-Modifiers
class Parent {
    // private methods are not overridden
    private void m1()
    {
        System.out.println("From parent m1()");
    }

    protected void m2()
    {
        System.out.println("From parent m2()");
    }
}

class Child extends Parent {
    // new m1() method
    // unique to Child class
    private void m1()
    {
        System.out.println("From child m1()");
    }

    // overriding method
    // with more accessibility
    @Override public void m2()
    {
        System.out.println("From child m2()");
    }
}

class Geeks {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        // parent class object
        Parent P = new Parent();
        P.m2();
        // child class object
        Parent C = new Child();
        C.m2();
    }
}

Output

From parent m2()
From child m2()

Explanation: Here, the parent class is overridden by the subclass and from the output we can easily identify the difference.

2. Final Methods Cannot Be Overriden

If we don't want a method to be overridden, we declare it as final. Please see Using Final with Inheritance.

Note: If a method is declared as final, subclasses cannot override it.

Example: This example demonstrates that final methods in Java cannot be overridden in subclasses.

Java

// A Java program to demonstrate that
// final methods cannot be overridden

class Parent {
    // Can't be overridden
    final void show() {}
}

class Child extends Parent {
    // This would produce error
    void show() {}
}

Output:

MethodOverriding

3. Static Methods Cannot Be Overridden (Method Hiding)

When we define a static method with the same signature as a static method in the base class, it is known as method hiding.

Subclass Instance method can override the superclass's Instance method but when we try to override the superclass static method gives a compile time error.
Subclass Static method generate compile time when trying to override superclass Instance method subclass static method hides when trying to override superclass static method.

Example: This example demonstrates method hiding for static methods in Java, where a static method in the subclass hides the static method in the superclass, while non-static methods can be overridden.

Java

// Java program to show that
// if the static method is redefined by a derived
// class, then it is not overriding, it is hiding
class Parent {
    // Static method in base class
    // which will be hidden in subclass
    static void m1()
    {
        System.out.println("From parent "
                           + "static m1()");
    }
    // Non-static method which will
    // be overridden in derived class
    void m2()
    {
        System.out.println(
            "From parent "
            + "non - static(instance) m2() ");
    }
}

class Child extends Parent {
    // This method hides m1() in Parent
    static void m1()
    {
        System.out.println("From child static m1()");
    }

    // This method overrides m2() in Parent
    @Override public void m2()
    {
        System.out.println(
            "From child "
            + "non - static(instance) m2() ");
    }
}

// Driver class
class Geeks {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        Parent obj1 = new Child();

        // here parents m1 called.
        // bcs static method can not overriden
        obj1.m1();

        // Here overriding works
        // and Child's m2() is called
        obj1.m2();
    }
}

Output

From parent static m1()
From child non - static(instance) m2()

Note: When a subclass defines a static method with the same signature as the parent's static method, it hides the parent method. The method called depends on the reference type, not the object type.

4. Private Methods Cannot Be Overridden

Private methods cannot be overridden as they are bonded during compile time. We cannot even override private methods in a subclass.

Example: This example demonstrates method hiding for private methods in Java, where a private method in the subclass does not override the private method in the superclass, and the subclass's public method overrides the superclass's public method.

Java

class SuperClass {
    private void privateMethod()
    {
        System.out.println(
            "it is a private method in SuperClass");
    }

    public void publicMethod()
    {
        System.out.println(
            "it is a public method in SuperClass");
        privateMethod();
    }
}

class SubClass extends SuperClass {
    // This is a new method with the same name as the
    // private method in SuperClass
    private void privateMethod()
    {
        System.out.println(
            "it is private method in SubClass");
    }

    // This method overrides the public method in SuperClass
    public void publicMethod()
    {
        // calls the private method in
        // SubClass, not SuperClass
        System.out.println(
            "it is a public method in SubClass");
        privateMethod();
    }
}

public class Geeks {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        SuperClass o1 = new SuperClass();
        // calls the public method in
        // SuperClass
        o1.publicMethod();
        SubClass o2 = new SubClass();
        // calls the overridden public
        // method in SubClass
        o2.publicMethod();
    }
}

Output

it is a public method in SuperClass
it is a private method in SuperClass
it is a public method in SubClass
it is private method in SubClass

5. Method Must Have the Same Return Type (or subtype)

From Java 5.0 onwards it is possible to have different return types for an overriding method in the child class, but the child’s return type should be a sub-type of the parent’s return type. This phenomenon is known as the covariant return type.

Example: This example demonstrates covariant return types in Java, where the subclass method overrides the superclass method with a more specific return type.

Java

class SuperClass {
    public Object method()
    {
        System.out.println(
            "This is the method in SuperClass");
        return new Object(); 
    }
}

class SubClass extends SuperClass {
    public String method()
    {
        System.out.println(
            "This is the method in SubClass");
        return "Hello, World!";
      // having the Covariant return type
    }
}

public class Geeks {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        SuperClass obj1 = new SuperClass();
        obj1.method();

        SubClass obj2 = new SubClass();
        obj2.method();
    }
}

Output

This is the method in SuperClass
This is the method in SubClass

6. Invoking Parent’s Overridden Method Using super

We can call the parent class method in the overriding method using the super keyword.

Note: Use super.methodName() to call the parent's version.

Example: This example demonstrates calling the overridden method from the subclass using super to invoke the superclass method in Java.

Java

// A Java program to demonstrate that overridden
// method can be called from sub-class
// Base Class
class Parent {
    void show() { System.out.println("Parent's show()"); }
}

// Inherited class
class Child extends Parent {
    // This method overrides show() of Parent
    @Override void show()
    {
        super.show();
        System.out.println("Child's show()");
    }
}

// Driver class
class Geeks{
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        Parent o = new Child();
        o.show();
    }
}

Output

Parent's show()
Child's show()

Overriding and Constructor

We cannot override the constructor as the parent and child class can never have a constructor with the same name (the constructor name must always be the same as the Class name).

Exception-Handling in Overriding

Below are two rules to note when overriding methods related to exception handling.

Rule 1: If the super-class overridden method does not throw an exception, the subclass overriding method can only throw the unchecked exception, throwing a checked exception will lead to a compile-time error.

Example: Below is an example of a Java program when the parent class method does not declare the exception.

Java

// Java program to demonstrate overriding when
// superclass method does not declare an exception

class Parent {
    void m1() { System.out.println("From parent m1()"); }

    void m2() { System.out.println("From parent  m2()"); }
}

class Child extends Parent {
    @Override
    // no issue while throwing unchecked exception
    void m1() throws ArithmeticException
    {
        System.out.println("From child m1()");
    }

    @Override
    // compile-time error
    // issue while throwing checked exception
    void m2() throws Exception
    {
        System.out.println("From child m2");
    }
}

Output:

OverrideExc

Explanation: This example shows that uper-class overridden method does not throw an exception, the subclass overriding method can only throw the exception because the super class does not declare the exception.

Rule 2: If the superclass overridden method does throw an exception, the subclass overriding method can only throw the same, subclass exception. Throwing parent exceptions in the Exception hierarchy will lead to compile time error. Also, there is no issue if the subclass overridden method does not throw any exception.

Example: This example demonstrate overriding when superclass method does declare an exception.

Java

class Parent {
    void m1() throws RuntimeException
    {
        System.out.println("From parent m1()");
    }
}

class Child1 extends Parent {
    @Override void m1() throws RuntimeException
    {
        System.out.println("From child1 m1()");
    }
}

class Child2 extends Parent {
    @Override void m1() throws ArithmeticException
    {
        System.out.println("From child2 m1()");
    }
}

class Child3 extends Parent {
    @Override void m1()
    {
        System.out.println("From child3 m1()");
    }
}

class Child4 extends Parent {
    @Override void m1() throws Exception
    {
        // This will cause a compile-time error due to the
        // parent class method not declaring Exception
        System.out.println("From child4 m1()");
    }
}

public class MethodOverridingExample {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        Parent p1 = new Child1();
        Parent p2 = new Child2();
        Parent p3 = new Child3();
        Parent p4 = new Child4();

        // Handling runtime exceptions for each child class
        // method
        try {
            p1.m1();
        }
        catch (RuntimeException e) {
            System.out.println("Exception caught: " + e);
        }

        try {
            p2.m1();
        }
        catch (RuntimeException e) {
            System.out.println("Exception caught: " + e);
        }

        try {
            p3.m1();
        }
        catch (Exception e) {
            System.out.println("Exception caught: " + e);
        }

        // Child4 throws a compile-time error due to
        // mismatched exception type
        try {
            p4.m1(); // This will throw a compile-time error
        }
        catch (Exception e) {
            System.out.println("Exception caught: " + e);
        }
    }
}

Output:

ExceptionOverriding3

Overriding and Abstract Method

Abstract methods in an interface or abstract class are meant to be overridden in derived concrete classes otherwise a compile-time error will be thrown.

Overriding and Synchronized/strictfp Method

The presence of a synchronized/strictfp modifier with the method has no effect on the rules of overriding, i.e. it’s possible that a synchronized/strictfp method can override a non-synchronized/strictfp one and vice-versa.

Example: This example demonstrates multi-level method overriding in Java, where a method is overridden across multiple levels of inheritance, and the method called is determined at runtime.

Java

// A Java program to demonstrate
// multi-level overriding
// Base Class
class Parent {
    void show() { System.out.println("Parent's show()"); }
}

// Inherited class
class Child extends Parent {
    // This method overrides show() of Parent
    void show() { System.out.println("Child's show()"); }
}

// Inherited class
class GrandChild extends Child {
    // This method overrides show() of Parent
    void show()
    {
        System.out.println("GrandChild's show()");
    }
}

// Driver class
class Geeks {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        Parent o = new GrandChild();
        o.show();
    }
}

Output

GrandChild's show()

Method Overriding vs Method Overloading

This image demonstrates the difference between method overloading (same method name but different parameters in the same class) and overriding (same method signature in a subclass, replacing the superclass method).

Method Overloading vs Method Overriding

The table below demonstrates the difference between Method Overriding and Method Overloading.

Features	Method Overriding	Method Overloading
Definition	Method overriding is about the same signature in subclass.	Method overloading is about same method name, different parameters.
Polymorphism	It is also known as Runtime polymorphism	It is also known as Compiletime polymorphism
Inheritance	Requires inheritance.	Can be in the same class or subclass
Return Type	Return type must be same	Return type can be different
Exceptions	Must follow overriding rules.	No restrictions.

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