Polymorphism

Question 1

What is POLYMORPHISM?

Answer 1

Polymorphism means many forms. It
means that two methods can have the same name but
different contents/functions.

Methods (behaviours) have the same name but
different parameter lists and processes

Question 2

What are the two types of polymorphism?

Answer 2

1. Overloading (same class)
2. Overriding (difference classes/inheritance)

Question 3

What are the ADVANTAGES of OVERLOADING?

Answer 3

1. We don’t have to create and remember different names for functions doing the same thing.
2. For example,, if overloading was not supported by Java, we would have to create method names like sum1, sum2,… or sum2Int, sum3Int, … etc. for every possible combination of parameters that might be used.

Question 4

What are the ADVANTAGES of OVERRIDING?

Answer 4

1. Polymorphism is essential to object-oriented programming
   for one reason: it allows a general class to specify methods
   that will be common to all of its derivatives, while allowing
   sub classes to define the specific implementation of some or
   all of those methods.
2. Overridden methods are another way that Java implements
   the “one interface, multiple methods” aspect of
   polymorphism
3. Overridden methods allow us to call methods of any of the
   derived classes without even knowing the type of derived
   class object.