What is Interface.super

Question

I have recently used default methods in java. In its implementation I found

public interface DefaultMethod {
    default String showMyName(String name){
        return "Hai "+name;

    }
}


public class DefaultMethodMainImpl implements DefaultMethod{

    @Override
    public String showMyName(String name){
        return DefaultMethod.super.showMyName(name);

    }
}

My question is in DefaultMethod.super where super will call it have no super class except Object? what super will return ?

Answer 1

If you use super in a class it usually refers to the ancestor of that class (either the extend ed class or Object ).

In the case of overriden default method of an interface you have to specify the specific interface which default implementation you want to invoke, hence

<Interface>.super.<method>();

See also The diamond problem .

Answer 2

<Interface>.<method>(); would consider <method> as static, and this is not the case. Hence the use of key word super which is a reference variable that is used to refer a "parent" object.