super() in Java

Question

Is super() used to call the parent constructor? Please explain super().

Answer 1

Just super(); alone will call the default constructor, if it exists of a class's superclass. But you must explicitly write the default constructor yourself. If you don't a Java will generate one for you with no implementations, save super(); , referring to the universal Superclass Object, and you can't call it in a subclass.

public class Alien{
   public Alien(){ //Default constructor is written out by user
   /** Implementation not shown…**/
   }
}

public class WeirdAlien extends Alien{
   public WeirdAlien(){
   super(); //calls the default constructor in Alien.
   }

}