Polymorphism is an important concept in object-oriented programming that allows us to perform a single action in different ways. In Java, polymorphism is mainly divided into two types: compile-time polymorphism and runtime polymorphism.
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Compile-time Polymorphism: This is also known as method overloading, where multiple methods can have the same name but different parameters. The method that is called is determined by the compiler, hence it is also known as compile-time polymorphism.
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Runtime Polymorphism: This is also known as method overriding, where a subclass provides a specific implementation of a method that is already provided by its parent class. The method that is called is determined at runtime based on the object being referred to, hence it is also known as runtime polymorphism.
Polymorphism allows objects of different classes to be treated as objects of a common class, enabling objects to behave differently based on their specific class type. This increases code reusability by allowing objects of different classes to be treated as objects of a common class, and improves readability and maintainability of code by reducing the amount of code that needs to be written and maintained.
In Java, polymorphism is achieved through inheritance, where a subclass inherits the properties and attributes of its parent class. For example, a superclass called Animal can have a method called animalSound(), and subclasses of Animals such as Pigs, Cats, Dogs, and Birds can have their own implementation of an animal sound.
Overall, polymorphism in Java allows us to write more flexible and reusable code, making it an important concept in object-oriented programming.
