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- #[[CT2106 - Object-Oriented Programming]]
- **Previous Topic:** [[Abstraction & Polymorphism]]
- **Next Topic:** [[Static Fields & Exceptions]]
- **Relevant Slides:** ![Lecture-15__2022.pdf](../assets/Lecture-15_2022_1666857889307_0.pdf) ![Lecture-16__2022.pdf](../assets/Lecture-16_2022_1666857979984_0.pdf)
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- # Multiple Inheritance
- What is **multiple inheritance**? #card
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- **Multiple inheritance** is where a class has multiple simultaneous superclasses.
- However, Java does not support multiple inheritance as it has led to major problems in OOP due to conflicting field & method implementations inherited from superclasses.
- # Interface
- What is an **interface**? #card
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- Java uses a structure called an **interface** to achieve a form of *multiple inheritance*.
- An interface is like a class, but it is really more like ==an outline of what methods a class should have.==
- Like a class, an interface can be used as a **type**.
- By convention, interface names often end in -`able`.
- While a class can only extend one super class (direct inheritance), a class can implement multiple interfaces.
- ## Examples
- ```java
public interface Eatable
{
public int getCalories(); // note: method definitions have no body
public int extractEnergy;
}
```
- ```java
public class Canary extends Bird implements Food, Comparable() ....
```
- What does it mean if a class implements an interface? #card
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- 1. Any class that implements said interface can be treated as that interface's type (polymorphism).
2. Any class that implements that interface *must* provide **concrete implementations** of its method.
- ## Interface VS Abstract
- ### Similarities
- Both can be used to provide "templates" for what subclasses can implement.
- An abstract method plays the same role as an interface method - both *must* be implemented in concrete form by a subclass.
- An abstract class and an Interface can be used as the **type** for a reference variable.
- ### DIfferences
- An abstract class is used for class inheritance purposes - providing an abstract structure that subclasses inherit. Therefore, the subclasses have a lot in common.
- However, an interface is often used to impose common functionality on classes that have nothing in common.
-