Explore the Concept of Overriding in Java

Method overriding happens when a subclass provides its own implementation of a method that is already defined in its superclass. It enables runtime (dynamic) polymorphism.

Rules for Method Overriding

• The method in the subclass must have the same name, return type, and parameters as in the superclass
• The method must be inherited, not static, final, or private
• Access modifier in the overriding method cannot be more restrictive than the overridden method

Example

class Animal {
    void sound() {
        System.out.println("Animal makes a sound");
    }
}

class Dog extends Animal {
    @Override
    void sound() {
        System.out.println("Dog barks");
    }
}

Animal a = new Dog();
a.sound(); // Output: Dog barks

Overriding vs Overloading

• Overriding happens between a superclass and subclass; overloading happens within the same class
• Overriding is resolved at runtime; overloading is resolved at compile time
• Overriding requires the same method signature; overloading requires a different one