Calling super super class method

Question

Let's say I have three classes A, B and C.

• B extends A
• C extends B

All have a public void foo() method defined.

Now from C's foo() method I want to invoke A's foo() method (NOT its parent B's method but the super super class A's method).

I tried super.super.foo(); , but it's invalid syntax. How can I achieve this?

Answer 1

You can't even use reflection. Something like

Class superSuperClass = this.getClass().getSuperclass().getSuperclass();
superSuperClass.getMethod("foo").invoke(this);

would lead to an InvocationTargetException , because even if you call the foo-Method on the superSuperClass, it will still use C.foo() when you specify "this" in invoke. This is a consequence from the fact that all Java methods are virtual methods.

It seems you need help from the B class (eg by defining a superFoo(){ super.foo(); } method).

That said, it looks like a design problem if you try something like this, so it would be helpful to give us some background: Why you need to do this?

Answer 2

You can't - because it would break encapsulation.

You're able to call your superclass's method because it's assumed that you know what breaks encapsulation in your own class, and avoid that... but you don't know what rules your superclass is enforcing - so you can't just bypass an implementation there.

Answer 3

You can't do it in a simple manner.

This is what I think you can do:

Have a bool in your class B. Now you must call B's foo from C like [super foo] but before doing this set the bool to true. Now in B's foo check if the bool is true then do not execute any steps in that and just call A's foo.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

To quote a previous answer "You can't - because it would break encapsulation." to which I would like to add that:

However there is a corner case where you can,namely if the method is static ( public or protected ). You can not overwrite the static method .

Having a public static method is trivial to prove that you can indeed do this.

For protected however, you need from inside one of your methods to perform a cast to any superclass in the inheritance path and that superclass method would be called.

This is the corner case I am exploring in my answer:

public class A {
    static protected callMe(){
        System.out.println("A");
    }
}

public class B extends A {
    static protected callMe(){
        System.out.println("B");
    }
}

public class C extends B {
    static protected callMe(){
        System.out.println("C");
        C.callMe();
    }

    public void accessMyParents(){
        A a = (A) this;
        a.callMe(); //calling beyond super class
    }
}

The answer remains still No, but just wanted to show a case where you can, although it probably wouldn't make any sense and is just an exercise.

Answer 5

Yes you can do it. This is a hack. Try not to design your program like this.

class A
{
    public void method()
    { /* Code specific to A */ }
}

class B extends A
{
    @Override
    public void method()
    { 
       //compares if the calling object is of type C, if yes push the call to the A's method.
       if(this.getClass().getName().compareTo("C")==0)
       { 
           super.method(); 
       }
       else{  /*Code specific to B*/  }

    }
}

class C extends B
{
    @Override
    public void method()
    { 
        /* I want to use the code specific to A without using B */ 
        super.method();

    }
}

Answer 6

There is a workaround that solved my similar problem:

Using the class A, B, and C scenario, there is a method that will not break encapsulation nor does it require to declare class C inside of class B. The workaround is to move class B's methods into a separate but protected method.

Then, if those class B's methods are not required simply override that method but don't use 'super' within that method. Overriding and doing nothing effectively neutralises that class B method.

public class A {
    protected void callMe() {
        System.out.println("callMe for A");
    }
}

public class B extends A {
    protected void callMe() {
        super.callMe();
        methodsForB(); // Class B methods moved out and into it's own method
    }

    protected void methodsForB() {
        System.out.println("methods for B");
    }
}

public class C extends B {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        new C().callMe();
    }

    protected void callMe() {
        super.callMe();
        System.out.println("callMe for C");
    }

    protected void methodsForB() {
        // Do nothing thereby neutralising class B methods 
    }
}

The result will be:

callMe for A
callMe for C

Answer 7

I had a problem where a superclass would call an top class method that was overridden. This was my workaround...

//THIS WOULD FAIL CALLING SUPERCLASS METHODS AS a1() would invoke top class METHOD

class foo1{
 public void a1(){
  a2();
  }
 public void a2(){}
 }
class foo2 extends foo1{
 {
 public void a1(){
//some other stuff
 super.a1();
 }
 public void a2(){
//some other stuff
 super.a2();
 }

//THIS ENSURES THE RIGHT SUPERCLASS METHODS ARE CALLED //the public methods only call private methods so all public methods can be overridden without effecting the superclass's functionality.

class foo1{
 public void a1(){
  a3();}
 public void a2(){
  a3();}
 private void a3(){
//super class routine
 }
class foo2 extends foo1{
 {
 public void a1(){
//some other stuff
 super.a1();
 }
 public void a2(){
//some other stuff
 super.a2();
 }

I hope this helps. :)

Answer 8

Before using reflection API think about the cost of it.

It is simply easy to do. For instance:

C subclass of B and B subclass of A. Both of three have method methodName() for example.

public abstract class A {

   public void methodName() {
     System.out.println("Class A");
   }

}


public class B extends A {

   public void methodName() {
      super.methodName();
      System.out.println("Class B");
   }

   // Will call the super methodName
   public void hackSuper() {
      super.methodName();
   }

}

public class C extends B {

   public static void main(String[] args) {
      A a = new C();
      a.methodName();
   }

  @Override
  public void methodName() {
      /*super.methodName();*/
      hackSuper();
      System.out.println("Class C");
  }

}

Run class C Output will be: Class A Class C

Instead of output: Class A Class B Class C

Answer 9

It's not possible, we're limited to call the superclass implementations only.

Answer 10

I smell something fishy here.

Are you sure you are not just pushing the envelope too far "just because you should be able to do it"? Are you sure this is the best design pattern you can get? Have you tried refactoring it?

Answer 11

In my simple case I had to inherit B and C from abstract class, that incapsulates equal methods of B and C. So that

     A
     |
   Abstr
    / \
   B   C

While it doesn't solve the problem, it can be used in simple cases, when C is similar to B. For instance, when C is initialized, but doesn't want to use initializers of B. Then it simply calls Abstr methods.

This is a common part of B and C:

public abstract class Abstr extends AppCompatActivity {
    public void showProgress() {
    }

    public void hideProgress() {
    }
}

This is B, that has it's own method onCreate() , which exists in AppCompatActivity :

public class B extends Abstr {

    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState); // Call from AppCompatActivity.
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_B); // B shows "activity_B" resource.
        showProgress();
    }
}

C shows its own layout:

public class C extends Abstr {

    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState); // Call from AppCompatActivity.
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_C); // C shows "activity_C" resource.
        showProgress();
    }
}

Answer 12

This is not something that you should do normally but, in special cases where you have to workaround some bug from a third party library (if it allow to do so), you can achieve calling a super super class method that has already been overwritten using the delegation pattern and an inner class that extends the super super class to use as a bridge:

class A() {
  public void foo() {
    System.out.println("calling A");
  }
}

class B extends A() {
  @Overwrite
  public void foo() {
    System.out.println("calling B");
  }
}

class C extends B() {
  private final a;

  public C() {
    this.a = new AExtension();
  }

  @Overwrite
  public void foo() {
    a.foo();
  }

  private class AExtension extends A {
  }
}

This way you will be able to not only call the super super method but also combine calls to other super super class methods with calls to methods of the super class or the class itself by using `C.super` or `C.this`.