Past exam of the year 1 of the computer science course of the University of Oxford / 2014 / Imperative programming / 6 / a / Solution 2026-10-31
View more
Apply overload selection followed by dynamic dispatch: the receiver's static type determines visible signatures, and argument static types choose the overload. The receiver's runtime type then selects its override. A super call starts at the inherited implementation instead of redispatching to the override just entered.
For c.f1(y), the Y overload is visible on C, so its body in C runs. For a.f2(x), the X signature is selected and its override in C calls C.f1(X). For a.f2(y), the Y signature is selected; its body in C calls super.f1(y). The superclass B has only f1(X), so that call uses B.f1(X).
For b.f3(y), the static type B exposes only f3(X). Its override in C calls super.f2(x), entering B.f2(X). The unqualified f1(x) inside that body still uses dynamic dispatch on the original C instance, so it calls C.f1(X).
Finally c.f4(x) invokes the companion object C, which is a separate receiver extending B. Its f3(X) calls inherited B.f2(X), whose f1 call dispatches to ObjC.f1(X).[ref]
The exact five output lines, including the final comma and space on each line, are:
f1(y:Y) in C, 
f1(x:X) in C, f2(x:X) in C, 
f1(x:X) in B, f2(y:Y) in C, 
f1(x:X) in C, f2(x:X) in B, f3(x:X) in C, 
f1(x:X) in ObjC, f2(x:X) in B, f3(x:X) in ObjC, f4(x:X) in C,
(1)
Read the full article
Past exam of the year 1 of the computer science course of the University of Oxford / 2015 / Imperative programming / 5 / a / Solution 2026-10-31
View more
Apply overload selection followed by dynamic dispatch: method overloading chooses a signature from the receiver's static type and argument static types, then dynamic dispatch chooses an override of that signature using the receiver's runtime type. A super call selects the inherited implementation; a call on the companion object B uses that object's own methods.[ref]
The output, in order, is
f(x:X) in B
f(y:Y) in A
f(x:X) in A, g(x:X) in B
f(x:X) in ObjB, g(y:Y) in ObjB, h(y:Y) in B, h(z:Z) in C
f(y:Y) in C, m(a:A) in Y, k(x:X) in C
For a.f(x), the argument's static type is X, selecting f(X); the receiver's runtime type B selects B.f(X). For a.f(z), the receiver's static type A exposes only f(X) and f(Y). The Z argument fits both, and f(Y) is more specific. B does not override that signature, so A.f(Y) runs. The additional overload B.f(Z) is invisible through a.
For c.g(z), the inherited instance B.g(X) calls super.f(x), which is A.f(X). For c.h(z), method overloading selects C.h(Z). Its super.h(z) calls B.h(Y), where the local parameter has static type Y. Consequently B.g(y) selects g(Y) on the companion object, whose only f signature is f(X).
Finally, c.k(x) calls x.m(this). The receiver x has runtime type Y, so dynamic dispatch enters Y.m(A). Inside that method, this has static type Y, selecting a.f(Y); the actual argument object is c, so dynamic dispatch reaches C.f(Y). Therefore
(1)
Read the full article