Trying to call a method from sub class

[TheNewGuy]

Hi.. how can I call a method of a sub class from a reference of a super class. like this simple example


public class superClass{

//some stuff

}

public class subClass extends superClasss{


public void aMethodNotFromSuperClass() { //bla bla }

}

now in another file i make this:

superClass[] myArray = new superClass[10];

myArray[0] = new subClass();

myArray[0].aMethodNotFromSuperClass();

ok last line gives me error it cant find method. So is there any way to do it since im doing it wrong i guess??

[Fubarable]

You can cast the super class variable to a child class and call it that way, but you'd better be sure that the variable does in fact reference a child object!

Having said this, there are often other ways of solving such problems that diminish the risk of a bad cast, some using design patterns. Often you're better off here trying to describe what you're trying to achieve from a user experience viewpoint rather than from a code viewpoint.

[TheNewGuy]

ok fubarable will you give example how i can cast it?

basically.. i want to have several things i display info on screen, so i have 1 class they all inherit from. There are 3 sub classes that are differnt, and some have special methods the others dont use, so thoes methods are not in the super class.. now i want an array of thoes objects in my code and the array will use all 3 of the sub classes, so basically myArray[0] could be object of subClassA and myArray[1] could be object of subClassB but if i need to call a method only found in subClassB then i get the error i talk about. I think i did this in C++ before and had to use Static Cast but i dont know well Java so am lost i only know cast like normal cast which is not working:

double b = 2.5;
int a = (int) b;

some normal cast like that not working with my super class casting to sub class.

[pbrockway2]

Be careful with the parentheses:

((subClass)myArray[0]).aMethodNotFromSuperClass();

[DarrylBurke]

Define 'not working'

Still sounds like a bad design, and if you think you've complied with Fubarable's suggestion

Often you're better off here trying to describe what you're trying to achieve from a user experience viewpoint rather than from a code viewpoint.

you're mistaken.

db