Introduction to Object Oriented Programming, 3rd Ed

Timothy A. Budd

Chapter 17

The Polymorphic Variable

Outline

  1. Roadmap
  2. Simple Polymorphic Variables
  3. The Receiver Variable
    1. The Receiver Variable In Frameworks
    2. Example, Repainting a Window
  4. Self and Super
  5. Downcasting (Reverse Polymorphism)
  6. Pure Polymorphism
    1. Another Example of Pure Polymorphism
  7. Chapter Summary

Other Material

Intro OOP, Chapter 17, Outline

Roadmap

A polymorphic variable is a variable that can hold values of different types during the course of execution. In this chapter we will consider:
Intro OOP, Chapter 17, Slide 01

Simple Polymorphic Variables

We saw simple polymorphic variables in the Solitare case study. 
public class Solitaire {
      ...
   static CardPile allPiles [ ];
	...

   public void paint(Graphics g) {
      for (int i = 0; i < 13; i++)
         allPiles[i].display(g);
      }
      ...
}
The variable was declared as CardPile, but actually held a number of different types.
Intro OOP, Chapter 17, Slide 02

The Receiver Variable

The most common polymorphic variable is the one that holds the receiver during the execution of a method.

Call this in C++ and Java, self in Smalltalk and Objective-C, current in Eiffel.

Holds the actual value (the dynamic class) during execution, not the static class.

Intro OOP, Chapter 17, Slide 03

The Receiver Variable in Frameworks

The greatest power of the receiver variable comes in the development of software frameworks.

In a framework, some methods are implemented in the parent class and not overridden (called foundation method), others are defined in the parent class, but intended to be overridden (called deferred method).

Consider a class Window with subclasses TextWindow and GraphicsWindow.

The combination of foundation and deferred methods allow high level algorithms to be reused and specialized in new situations.

Intro OOP, Chapter 17, Slide 04

Example, Repainting Window

class Window {
	public void repaint () {
			// invoke the deferred method paint.
			// Because the implicit receiver, this,
			// is polymorphic, the method from the
			// child class will be executed
		paint (graphicsContext);
	}

	abstract public void paint (Graphics g); // deferred

	private Graphics graphicsContext;
}

class GraphicsWindow extends Window {
	public void paint (Graphics g) {
		// do the appropriate painting job
	}
}
Only the child class knows how to paint the window. The receiver variable is responsible for remembering the actual class of the receiver when executing the method in the parent class.
Intro OOP, Chapter 17, Slide 05

Self and Super

In Java and Smalltalk there is another pseudo-variable, named super.

Super is like self, only when a message is given to super it looks for the method in the parent class of the current class. 

class Parent {
	void exampleOne () {
		System.out.println("In parent method"); 
	}
}

class Child extends Parent {
	void exampleOne () {
		System.out.println("In child method");
		super.exampleOne();
	}
}
Variable is called base in C#.
Intro OOP, Chapter 17, Slide 06

Downcast (Reverse Polymorpism)

It is sometimes necessary to undo the assignment to a polymorphic variable.
That is, to determine the variables true dynamic value, and assign it to a variable of the appropriate type.

This process is termed down casting, or, since it is undoing the polymorphic assignment, reverse polymorphism.

Various different syntaxs are used for this, see the book. 

Parent aVariable = ...;
Child aCard;
if (aVariable instanceof Child)
	aChild = (Child) aVariable;
Intro OOP, Chapter 17, Slide 07

Pure Polymorphism

A polymorphic method (also called pure polymorphism) occurs when a polymorphic variable is used as an argument. Different effects are formed by using different types of value. 
class StringBuffer {
	String append (Object value)
		{ return append(value.toString()); }
	...
}
Different objects implement toString differently, so the effects will vary depending upon the argument.
Intro OOP, Chapter 17, Slide 08

Another Example of Pure Polymorphism

This example is from Smalltalk. 
between: low and: high
	^ (low <= self) and: [ self <= high]
Different arguments will implement the relational test differently, so different effects can be achieved. 
x between: $a and: $z

x between: 1 and: 100

x between: 3.14 and: 4.56

x between: "abc" and: "pdq"

x between: 10@5 and:  50@40


Intro OOP, Chapter 17, Slide 09







Chapter Summary




Intro OOP, Chapter 17, Slide 10