super keyword in Java

In Java, the super keyword is used to refer to the superclass of a subclass. It is used to call the superclass constructor or access the superclass’s properties or methods from within a subclass.

Here is an example that illustrates the use of the super keyword in Java:

class Animal {
   String name;

   public Animal(String name) {
      this.name = name;
   }

   public void eat() {
      System.out.println(name + " is eating");
   }
}

class Dog extends Animal {
   String breed;

   public Dog(String name, String breed) {
      super(name);
      this.breed = breed;
   }

   public void bark() {
      System.out.println(name + " is barking");
   }

   public void eat() {
      super.eat(); // Calls the eat() method in the superclass
      System.out.println(name + " the " + breed + " is eating");
   }
}

public class Main {
   public static void main(String[] args) {
      Dog dog = new Dog("Buddy", "Labrador");
      dog.bark();
      dog.eat();
   }
}

In this example, we have a superclass Animal with a constructor that takes a name parameter and a method eat() that prints a message indicating that the animal is eating. We then have a subclass Dog that extends Animal, and has a constructor that takes a name and a breed parameter, and a method bark() that prints a message indicating that the dog is barking.

In the main() method, we create a Dog object with the name “Buddy” and the breed “Labrador”. We then call its bark() and eat() methods. When the eat() method is called, it first calls the eat() method in the superclass using the super.eat() syntax, and then prints a message indicating that the dog is eating.

The super keyword is used in the Dog class’s constructor to call the Animal class’s constructor with the name parameter. This initializes the name property in the Animal class, which can then be accessed in the Dog class. In the eat() method, the super keyword is used to call the eat() method in the Animal class, and then the name and breed properties are printed to the console.