Getting Started with Java - Java 6 - page 23

FIGURE 1.5
How methods are
located in a class
hierarchy.

Method
definition

Class

1

Class Class

Message sent to object and
passed up class hierarchy
until a definition is found

Class Class

Object Object

FIGURE 1.6
Overriding
methods.

Class

Method is overridden
by this definition

Initial method
definition

Class

Message sent to object and
passed up class hierarchy
until a definition is found

Class Class

Object Object

Single and Multiple Inheritance
Java's form of inheritance is called single inheritance because each Java class can have
only one superclass (although any given superclass can have multiple subclasses).