Interface (Java): Difference between revisions

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An '''interface''' in the [[Java (programming language)|Java programming language]] is an [[abstract type]] that is used to specify a behaviour that [[class (computer science)|classes]] must implement. They are similar to [[Protocol (object-oriented programming)|protocol]]s. Interfaces are declared using the <code>interface</code> [[Java keywords|keyword]], and may only contain [[method signature]] and constant declarations (variable declarations that are declared to be both <code>[[Static_variable#Static_Variables_as_Class_Variables|static]]</code> and <code>[[Final (Java)|final]]</code>). All methods of an Interface do not contain implementation (method bodies) as of all versions below Java 8. Starting with Java 8, <code>default</code> and <code>static</code> methods may have implementation in the <code>interface</code> definition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/IandI/defaultmethods.html|title=Default Methods}}</ref>

no content

Interfaces cannot be [[Instance (computer science)|instantiated]], but rather are implemented. A class that implements an interface must implement all of the non-default methods described in the interface, or be an [[abstract class]]. Object references in Java may be specified to be of an interface type; in each case, they must either be [[null pointer|null]], or be bound to an object that implements the interface.

One benefit of using interfaces is that they simulate [[multiple inheritance]]. All classes in Java must have exactly one [[base class]], the only exception being {{Javadoc:SE|package=java.lang|java/lang|Object}} (the [[top type|root class]] of the Java [[type system]]); [[multiple inheritance]] of classes is not allowed. However, an interface may inherit multiple interfaces and a class may implement multiple interfaces.

== Overview ==

Interfaces are used to encode similarities which the classes of various types share, but do not necessarily constitute a class relationship. For instance, a [[human]] and a [[parrot]] can both [[whistle]]; however, it would not make sense to represent <code>Human</code>s and <code>Parrot</code>s as subclasses of a <code>Whistler</code> class. Rather they would most likely be subclasses of an <code>Animal</code> class (likely with intermediate classes), but both would implement the <code>Whistler</code> interface.

Another use of interfaces is being able to use an [[Object (computer science)|object]] without knowing its type of class, but rather only that it implements a certain interface. For instance, if one were annoyed by a whistling noise, one may not know whether it is a human or a parrot, because all that could be determined is that a whistler is whistling. The call <code>whistler.whistle()</code> will call the implemented method <code>whistle</code> of object <code>whistler</code> no matter what class it has, provided it implements <code>Whistler</code>. In a more practical example, a [[sorting algorithm]] may expect an object of type {{Javadoc:SE|java/lang|Comparable}}. Thus, without knowing the specific type, it knows that objects of that type can somehow be sorted.

For example:

<source lang="Java">

interface Bounceable {

double pi=3.1415;

void setBounce(); // Note the semicolon

// Interface methods are public, abstract and never final.

// Think of them as prototypes only; no implementations are allowed.

}

</source>

An interface:

declares only method headers and public constants.

cannot be instantiated.

can be implemented by a class.

cannot extend a class.

can extend several other interfaces.

==Usage==

===Defining an interface===

Interfaces are defined with the following syntax (compare to [[Class (software)#Java|Java's class definition]]):

[''visibility''] interface '''''InterfaceName''''' [extends ''other interfaces''] {

''constant declarations''

''abstract method declarations''

}

Example: public interface Interface1 extends Interface2;

The body of the interface contains [[Method (computer programming)#Abstract methods|abstract methods]], but since all methods in an interface are, by definition, abstract, the <code>abstract</code> keyword is not required. Since the interface specifies a set of exposed behaviors, all methods are implicitly <code>public</code>.

Thus, a simple interface may be

<source lang="java">

public interface Predator {

boolean chasePrey(Prey p);

void eatPrey(Prey p);

}

</source>

The member type declarations in an interface are implicitly static, final and public, but otherwise they can be any type of class or interface.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://java.sun.com/docs/books/jls/third_edition/html/interfaces.html#9.5|title=The Java Language Specification}}</ref>'''

===Implementing interfaces in a class===

The syntax for implementing an interface uses this formula:

... implements ''InterfaceName''[, ''another interface'', ''another'', ...] ...

[[Class (software)|Classes]] may implement an interface. For example,

<source lang="java">

public class Lion implements Predator {

@Override

public boolean chasePrey(Prey p) {

// programming to chase prey p (specifically for a lion)

}

@Override

public void eatPrey(Prey p) {

// programming to eat prey p (specifically for a lion)

}

}

</source>

If a class implements an interface and does not implement all its methods, it must be marked as <code>abstract</code>. If a class is abstract, one of its [[Subclass (computer science)|subclasses]] is expected to implement its unimplemented methods. Although if any of the abstract class' subclasses does not implement all interface methods, the subclass itself must be marked again as <code>abstract</code>.

Classes can implement multiple interfaces:

<source lang="Java">

public class Frog implements Predator, Prey { ... }

</source>

Interfaces can share common class methods:

<source lang="Java">

class Animal implements LikesFood, LikesWater

{boolean likes() {return true;}

}

</source>

However a given class cannot implement the same or a similar interface multiple times:

<source lang="Java">

class Animal implements Shares<Boolean>, Shares<Integer> ...

// error: repeated interface

</source>

Interfaces are commonly used in the Java language for [[Callback (computer science)|callbacks]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/javatips/jw-javatip10.html|title=Java World}}</ref> as Java does not allow multiple inheritance of classes, nor does it allow the passing of methods (procedures) as arguments. Therefore, in order to pass a method as a parameter to a target method, current practice is to define and pass a reference to an interface as a means of supplying the signature and address of the parameter method to the target method rather than defining multiple variants of the target method to accommodate each possible calling class.

===Subinterfaces===

Interfaces can extend several other interfaces, using the same formula as described below. For example,

<source lang="java">

public interface VenomousPredator extends Predator, Venomous {

//interface body

}

</source>

is legal and defines a subinterface. Note how it allows multiple inheritance, unlike classes. Note also that <code>Predator</code> and <code>Venomous</code> may possibly define or inherit methods with the same signature, say <code>kill(Prey p)</code>. When a class implements <code>VenomousPredator</code> it will implement both methods simultaneously.

==Examples==

Some common [[Java (Sun)|Java]] interfaces are:

* {{Javadoc:SE|java/lang|Comparable}} has the method {{Javadoc:SE|name=compareTo|java/lang|Comparable|compareTo(T)}}, which is used to describe two objects as equal, or to indicate one is greater than the other. [[Generic programming|Generics]] allow implementing classes to specify which class instances can be compared to them.

* {{Javadoc:SE|java/io|Serializable}} is a [[marker interface]] with no methods or fields - it has an empty body. It is used to indicate that a class can be [[Serialization|serialized]]. Its [[Javadoc]] describes how it should function, although nothing is programmatically enforced

==See also==

* [[Mixin]]

* [[Trait (computer programming)]]

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==

* [http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/java/concepts/interface.html What Is an Interface?]

[[Category:Java (programming language)]]

[[Category:Interfaces]]

[[Category:Articles with example Java code]]