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COP 3503 FALL 2012
SHAYAN JAVED
LECTURE 6
Programming Fundamentals using Java
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Interfaces
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ANIMAL
picture
food
sleep()
roam()
makeNoise()
eat()
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ANIMAL
picture
food
sleep()
roam()
makeNoise()
eat()
FELINE CANINE
roam() roam()
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ANIMAL
picture
food
sleep()
roam()
makeNoise()
eat()
FELINE CANINE
roam() roam()
LION CAT WOLF DOG
makeNoise() makeNoise() makeNoise() makeNoise()
eat() eat() eat() eat()
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Problem
Need to add Pet behaviors to the pet animal
classes (Cat and Dog):
• play()
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Option 1
Animal
Add concrete methods:
play() to Animal class
Feline Canine
Lion Cat Wolf Dog
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Option 1
Animal
Add concrete methods:
play() to Animal class
Feline Canine
What’s the problem?
Lion Cat Wolf Dog
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Option 1
Animal
Add concrete methods:
play() to Animal class
Feline Canine
What’s the problem?
Lion Cat Wolf Dog
Also exist for Lion/Wolf
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Option 2
Animal
Add abstract methods: play()
to Animal class
Feline Canine
Lion Cat Wolf Dog
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Option 2
Animal
Add abstract methods: play()
to Animal class
Feline Canine Provide empty body for it in
Lion and Wolf classes
Lion Cat Wolf Dog
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Option 2
Animal
Add abstract methods: play()
to Animal class
Feline Canine Provide empty body for it in
Lion and Wolf classes
Lion Cat Wolf Dog Provide non-empty body for
it in Cat and Dog classes
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Option 3
Animal
Add concrete methods:
play() to Cat and Dog
classes
Feline Canine
Lion Cat Wolf Dog
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What we need
Pet behaviors just in Pet classes (like Dog and Cat)
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What we need
Pet behaviors just in Pet classes (like Dog and Cat)
Consistency - Guarantee that all Pet classes use
the same signature for Pet methods
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What we need
Pet behaviors just in Pet classes (like Dog and Cat)
Consistency - Guarantee that all Pet classes use
the same signature for Pet methods
Take advantage of Polymorphism
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Multiple Inheritance?
Animal Pet
Feline Canine
Lion Cat Wolf Dog
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Multiple Inheritance?
Animal Pet
Feline Canine
Lion Cat Wolf Dog
But Java does not allow multiple inheritance! Why?
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Multiple Inheritance?
Not allowed
Mainly to avoid complexity/confusion.
Want to keep it simple.
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The Diamond Problem
SuperClass
method()
A B
method() method()
C
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The Diamond Problem
SuperClass
method()
A B
method() method()
What happens when method() is called in C?
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Solution: Interfaces
Make Pet an interface and put all pet behaviors in it as abstract methods
Animal Pet
abstract play();
Feline Canine
Lion Cat Wolf Dog
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Interfaces
Classlike construct
• contains only constants and abstract methods.
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Interfaces
Classlike construct
• contains only constants and abstract methods.
• cannot contain variables or concrete methods.
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Interfaces
Classlike construct
• contains only constants and abstract methods.
• cannot contain variables or concrete methods.
Declaration:
public interface <InterfaceName> {
// constant declarations;
// method signatures;
}
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Interface Pet
public interface Pet {
public void play();
}
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Implementing Pet interface
class Dog extends Canine implements Pet{
public void play(){
[Link](“Catch ball”);
}
}
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Implementing Pet interface
class Dog extends Canine implements Pet{
public void play(){
[Link](“Catch ball”);
}
}
class Cat extends Feline implements Pet {
public void play(){
[Link](“Roll ball”);
}
}
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Interface Characteristics
Interfaces are defined in their own file
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Interface Characteristics
Interfaces are defined in their own file
Methods are abstract. No implementations.
May omit the abstract keyword.
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Interface Characteristics
Interfaces are defined in their own file
Methods are abstract. No implementations.
May omit the abstract keyword.
Do not have instance fields.
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Interface Characteristics
Interfaces are defined in their own file
Methods are abstract. No implementations.
May omit the abstract keyword.
Do not have instance fields.
Can have constant fields. Automatically treated as
public, static, final; may omit any of these keywords
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Example
public interface Interface1 {
int aNumber = 0;
public void aMethod();
}
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Example
public interface Interface1 {
int aNumber = 0;
public void aMethod();
}
Same as:
public interface Interface1 {
public static final int aNumber = 0;
public abstract void aMethod();
}
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Interface Characteristics
A class can implement any number of interfaces
public class aClass implements I1, I2, I3 {
// methods from I1, I2, I3...
}
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Interface Characteristics
A class can implement any number of interfaces
public class aClass implements I1, I2, I3 {
// methods from I1, I2, I3...
Interfaces can not be instantiated
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Interface Characteristics
A class can implement any number of interfaces
public class aClass implements I1, I2, I3 {
// methods from I1, I2, I3...
Interfaces can not be instantiated
But can be used as a data type for a variable
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Using the interface
Pet[] pets = new Pet[2];
pet[0] = new Dog();
pet[1] = new Cat();
for(int i = 0; i < [Link]; i++)
pet[i].play();
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Using the interface
Pet[] pets = new Pet[2];
pet[0] = new Dog();
pet[1] = new Cat();
for(int i = 0; i < [Link]; i++)
pet[i].play();
Similar to abstract classes – advantage of
polymorphism
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Classes from different inheritance hierarchy can implement same interface!
Robot
Animal
Pet
abstract play();
Feline Canine
RoboDog Roomba
Lion Cat Wolf Dog
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Abstract Classes vs. Interfaces
Variables Constructors Methods
Abstract No restrictions Constructors are invoked by subclasses No restrictions.
class through constructor chaining.
An abstract class cannot be instantiated
using the new operator.
Interface All variables No constructors. All methods must be
must be public public abstract
static final An interface cannot be instantiated using instance methods
the new operator.
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Abstract Classes vs. Interfaces
Variables Constructors Methods
Abstract No restrictions Constructors are invoked by subclasses No restrictions.
class through constructor chaining.
An abstract class cannot be instantiated
using the new operator.
Interface All variables No constructors. All methods must be
must be public public abstract
static final An interface cannot be instantiated using instance methods
the new operator.
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Abstract Classes vs. Interfaces
Variables Constructors Methods
Abstract No restrictions Constructors are invoked by subclasses No restrictions.
class through constructor chaining.
An abstract class cannot be instantiated
using the new operator.
Interface All variables No constructors. All methods must be
must be public public abstract
static final An interface cannot be instantiated using instance methods
the new operator.
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Abstract Classes vs. Interfaces
Cannot inherit from multiple classes but,
Can can implement multiple interfaces
Interfaces = model “can-do” type relationships
Inheritance = model “is-a” type of relationship
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Next Lecture
More on interfaces
