Java Glossary : super

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super

When you override a method, you can still get the original method by using super.thatMethod() . You can only go back one level. In the constructor, if you use super(), it must be the very first code, and you can not access any this. xxx variables or methods to compute its parameters. Those variables have been allocated, but not yet initialised. To help you remember which is the superclass, "Mom makes super pie" -- the mother original class is the superclass. Note the way you use super() in constructors and super. in methods.

// using super in a constructor
public MyClass ( Thing thing, Color color )
   {
   // call the original constructor
   super( thing );
   this.color = color;
   }

// using super in a method
public void myMethod ( Font font )
   {
   // use the original myMethod.
   super.myMethod ( font );

   // use the original otherMethod.
   super.otherMethod ( font );
   }

gotchas ¤ overload ¤ override ¤ shadow ¤ subclass ¤ superclass

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