How do I use the final keyword in Java?

The final modifier is used to mark a class final so that it cannot be extended, to prevent a method being overridden, and to prevent changing the value of a variable. Arguments of a method if declared as final is also can not be modified within the method.

package org.kodejava.basic;

public class FinalExample {
    // breed is declared final.
    // can't change the value assigned to breed
    public final String breed = "pig";
    private int count = 0;

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        FinalExample fe = new FinalExample();
        // assign a value to breed variable will cause a
        // compile-time error
        //
        // fe.breed = "dog";

        int number = fe.count(20);
    }

    // sound() method is declared final, so it can't be overridden
    public final void sound() {
        System.out.println("oink oink");
    }

    // number parameter is declared final. can't change the value
    // assigned to number
    public int count(final int number) {
        // assign a value to number variable will cause a
        // compile-time error
        //
        // number = 1;

        count = +number;
        return count;
    }
}

final class SubFinalExample extends FinalExample {

    // try to override sound() method of superclass will cause a
    // compile-time error
    //
    // public void sound() {
    //     System.out.println("oink");
    // }
}

// try to inherit a class that declared final will cause a
// compile-time error
//
class OtherFinalExample extends SubFinalExample {
}

How do I use the super keyword?

When a class extends from other class, the class or usually called as subclass inherits all the accessible members and methods of the superclass. If the subclass overrides a method provided by its superclass, a way to access the method defined in the superclass is through the super keyword.

package org.kodejava.basic;

public class Bike {
    public void moveForward() {
        System.out.println("Bike: Move Forward.");
    }
}

In the ThreeWheelsBike‘s moveForward() method we call the overridden method using the super.moveForward() which will print the message from the Bike class.

package org.kodejava.basic;

public class ThreeWheelsBike extends Bike {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Bike bike = new ThreeWheelsBike();
        bike.moveForward();
    }

    @Override
    public void moveForward() {
        super.moveForward();
        System.out.println("Three Wheels Bike: Move Forward.");
    }
}

Java Programming Keywords Summary

Here are the summary of the available keywords in the Java programming language. Keywords are reserved words that already taken and internally used by Java, so we cannot create variables and name it using this keyword.

Keyword Meaning
abstract an abstract class or method
assert used to locate internal program errors
boolean the Boolean type
break breaks out of a switch or loop
byte the 8-bit integer type
case a case of a switch
catch the clause of a try block catching an exception
char the Unicode character type
class defines a class type
const not used
continue continues at the end of a loop
default the default clause of a switch
do the top of a do/while loop
double the double-precision floating-number type
Keyword Meaning
else the else clause of an if statement
enum define an enum type
extends defines the parent class of a class
final a constant, or a class or method that cannot be overridden
finally the part of a try block that is always executed
float the single-precision floating-point type
for a loop type
goto not used
if a conditional statement
implements defines the interface(s) that a class implements
import imports a package
instanceof tests if an object is an instance of a class
int the 32-bit integer type
interface an abstract type with methods that a class can implement
long the 64-bit long integer type
Keyword Meaning
native a method implemented by the host system
new allocates a new object or array
null a null reference
package a package of classes
private a feature that is accessible only by methods of this class
protected a feature that is accessible only by methods of this class, its children, and other classes in the same package
public a feature that is accessible by methods of all classes
return returns from a method
short the 16-bit integer type
static a feature that is unique to its class, not to objects of its class
strictfp Use strict rules for floating-point computations
super the superclass object or constructor
switch a selection statement
synchronized a method or code block that is atomic to a thread
this the implicit argument of a method, or a constructor of this class
Keyword Meaning
throw throws an exception
throws the exceptions that a method can throw
transient marks data that should not be persistent
try a block of code that traps exceptions
void denotes a method that returns no value
volatile ensures that a field is coherently accessed by multiple threads
while a while loop type