Past exam of the year 1 of the computer science course of the University of Oxford / 2015 / Imperative programming / 5 / a / Solution

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, isFor 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