I have a base class in the 'common' module that looks like this:
class BaseClass(args: Seq[String] = Seq()) extends Serializable {
private val argMap: Map[String, String] =
// <More code here...>
object BaseClass {
def apply(args: Seq[String] = Seq()): BaseClass = new BaseClass(args)
}
Now I want to extend this BaseClass in my 'module' so I am trying this...
class MyNewClass(args: Seq[String] = Seq()) extends com.xyz.BaseClass {
// Add additional code here
}
object MyNewClass extends com.xyz.BaseClass {
def apply(args: Seq[String] = Seq()): MyNewClass = new com.xyz.MyNewClass(args)
}
My understanding is, when I instantiate MyNewClass it will automatically instantiate & call the 'apply' method of the base class but that's not happening. What is a proper way to extend the BaseClass in a way that all its variables & methods can be accessed via the Child class?
My understanding is, when I instantiate MyNewClass it will automatically instantiate & call the 'apply' method of the base class...
Your understanding isn't quite on.
extends com.xyz.BaseClass means that this class inherits from the base class, not the singleton object.
And new com.xyz.MyNewClass(args) creates a new instance of the specified class, bypassing the apply() method in any companion object.
What is a proper way to extend the BaseClass in a way that all its variables & methods can be accessed via the Child class?
The current code does exactly that. MyNewClass, and its companion object, inherits all members from BaseClass. Nothing is inherited from the BaseClass companion object because you can't extend an object, and you don't inherit the access permissions from BasseClass so while a BaseClass instance can access private members of the BaseClass companion object, a MyNewClass instance cannot.
I defined a Scala class MyAnnotation, used to annotate certain classes within my program:
case class MyAnnotation() extends scala.annotation.StaticAnnotation {
println("MyAnnotation initialized") // doesn't get printed
}
Which is used in the following way:
#MyAnnotation()
class MyClass() {
...
}
However, when I instantiate the MyClass class, the constructor of MyAnnotation doesn't get executed. I.e., the println does not happen.
val x = new MyClass()
// nothing gets printed
Sumarized: is there any way to provide a constructor to a user-defined annotation class that gets executed when another class annotated with that annotation is instantiated?
I want the protected fields of a class to be made publicly visible in a subclass:
class MyClass(protected val someDao: SomeDao)
class TestMyClass extends MyClass(mock[SomeDao])
Now I want to access someDao like so:
val testClass = new TestMyClass
testClass.someDao
I've read that in Java and Scala access modifiers can be broadened but not restricted in subclasses (although these are just constructor parameters, not private fields per se). How can I achieve that in this example?
EDIT:
The answers provided suggest making someDao public in the base class. This is not what I want. I want it to remain private, but just change its visibility to public in the TestMyClass class.
As far as I know, an overriden val cannot access the super implementation.
If you can modify the base class, one solution is to explicitely define an accessor method, which can be overriden; something like this:
class MyClass(_someDao: SomeDao) {
protected def someDao = _someDao
}
class TestMyClass extends MyClass(mock[SomeDao]) {
override def someDao = super.someDao
}
If you cannot change the base class, one workaround would be to define a public accessor method with a different name:
class MyClass(protected val someDao: SomeDao)
class TestMyClass extends MyClass(mock[SomeDao]) {
def someDao2 = someDao
}
Add var or val to parameters declaration:
class MyClass(val someDao: SomeDao)
In this case only getter function will be generate for someDao field. So when you write testClass.someDao you retrieve not the someDao as field you use their getter function.
Good example about visibility of class parameters in Scala demostrated at this article.
Regarding to your last updates
Set package scope for parameter declaration:
class MyClass(private[lastPackageOfSomeDao] val someDao: SomeDao)
This topic has been discussed before but not answered satisfactorily (in my opinion).
Consider the following scala code:
class A(a:Int) { val _a=a }
class A1(val a:Int) { val _a=a }
class B(a:Int) extends A(a) // OK
class C(val a:Int) extends A(a) // OK
class B1(a:Int) extends A1(a) // OK
class C1(val a:Int) extends A1(a) // fails
class D1(override val a:Int) extends A1(a) // OK
I believe that declaring the class parameter as val only has an effect on the constructor call:
the parameter is copied instead of passing a reference. However in each case the class field is allocated as a val. is this correct?
Now what I do not understand is why we need the override keyword in the last line.
Note that we do not declare the classes as case classes so no automatic allocation of fields is going on.
Finally is there a good reason why one even would want to define a class like A1 with a val
class parameter?
Thanks in advance for all replies.
I believe that declaring the class parameter as val only has an
effect on the constructor call: the parameter is copied instead of
passing a reference. However in each case the class field is allocated
as a val. is this correct?
Not at all.
If there is a val or var in the constructor, that causes a val or var of the same name to be declared in the class, and assign the constructor parameter to it at construction. Otherwise, a (private) val may still be created in the class, if the constructor parameter is used outside initialization, i.e in a method.
In class A1, the member _a is really useless, because if you write
class A1(val a: Int) {}
it is equivalent to
class A1(someFreshName: Int) {val a = someFreshName}
So in C1, you are trying to declare a new member a, while there is already one. Hence the override.
In your particular instance, both member would have the same value, but you could well do (maybe not a good idea)
class C1(override val a: Int) extends A1(12)
Then, the new member a would have the constructor parameter as value, and the previous a would have value 12 and be hidden (but still, code written in A1 would access it).
I'm just going over some Scala tutorials on the Internet and have noticed in some examples an object is declared at the start of the example.
What is the difference between class and object in Scala?
tl;dr
class C defines a class, just as in Java or C++.
object O creates a singleton object O as instance of some anonymous class; it can be used to hold static members that are not associated with instances of some class.
object O extends T makes the object O an instance of trait T; you can then pass O anywhere, a T is expected.
if there is a class C, then object C is the companion object of class C; note that the companion object is not automatically an instance of C.
Also see Scala documentation for object and class.
object as host of static members
Most often, you need an object to hold methods and values/variables that shall be available without having to first instantiate an instance of some class.
This use is closely related to static members in Java.
object A {
def twice(i: Int): Int = 2*i
}
You can then call above method using A.twice(2).
If twice were a member of some class A, then you would need to make an instance first:
class A() {
def twice(i: Int): Int = 2 * i
}
val a = new A()
a.twice(2)
You can see how redundant this is, as twice does not require any instance-specific data.
object as a special named instance
You can also use the object itself as some special instance of a class or trait.
When you do this, your object needs to extend some trait in order to become an instance of a subclass of it.
Consider the following code:
object A extends B with C {
...
}
This declaration first declares an anonymous (inaccessible) class that extends both B and C, and instantiates a single instance of this class named A.
This means A can be passed to functions expecting objects of type B or C, or B with C.
Additional Features of object
There also exist some special features of objects in Scala.
I recommend to read the official documentation.
def apply(...) enables the usual method name-less syntax of A(...)
def unapply(...) allows to create custom pattern matching extractors
if accompanying a class of the same name, the object assumes a special role when resolving implicit parameters
A class is a definition, a description. It defines a type in terms of methods and composition of other types.
An object is a singleton -- an instance of a class which is guaranteed to be unique. For every object in the code, an anonymous class is created, which inherits from whatever classes you declared object to implement. This class cannot be seen from Scala source code -- though you can get at it through reflection.
There is a relationship between object and class. An object is said to be the companion-object of a class if they share the same name. When this happens, each has access to methods of private visibility in the other. These methods are not automatically imported, though. You either have to import them explicitly, or prefix them with the class/object name.
For example:
class X {
// class X can see private members of object X
// Prefix to call
def m(x: Int) = X.f(x)
// Import and use
import X._
def n(x: Int) = f(x)
private def o = 2
}
object X {
private def f(x: Int) = x * x
// object X can see private members of class X
def g(x: X) = {
import x._
x.o * o // fully specified and imported
}
}
An object has exactly one instance (you can not call new MyObject). You can have multiple instances of a class.
Object serves the same (and some additional) purposes as the static methods and fields in Java.
As has been explained by many, object defines a singleton instance. The one thing in the answers here that I believe is left out is that object serves several purposes.
It can be the companion object to a class/trait, containing what might be considered static methods or convenience methods.
It can act much like a module, containing related/subsidiary types and definitions, etc.
It can implement an interface by extending a class or one or more traits.
It can represent a case of a sealed trait that contains no data. In this respect, it's often considered more correct than a case class with no parameters. The special case of a sealed trait with only case object implementors is more or less the Scala version of an enum.
It can act as evidence for implicit-driven logic.
It introduces a singleton type.
It's a very powerful and general construct. What can be very confusing to Scala beginners is that the same construct can have vastly different uses. And an object can serve many of these different uses all at once, which can be even more confusing.
Defining an object in Scala is like defining a class in Java that has only static methods. However, in Scala an object can extend another superclass, implement interfaces, and be passed around as though it were an instance of a class. (So it's like the static methods on a class but better).
The formal difference -
you can not provide constructor parameters for Objects
Object is not a type - you may not create an instance with new operator. But it can have fields, methods, extend a superclass and mix in traits.
The difference in usage:
Scala doesn't have static methods or fields. Instead you should use object. You can use it with or without related class. In 1st case it's called a companion object. You have to:
use the same name for both class and object
put them in the same source file.
To create a program you should use main method in object, not in class.
object Hello {
def main(args: Array[String]) {
println("Hello, World!")
}
}
You also may use it as you use singleton object in java.
In scala, there is no static concept. So scala creates a singleton object to provide entry point for your program execution.
If you don't create singleton object, your code will compile successfully but will not produce any output. Methods declared inside Singleton Object are accessible globally. A singleton object can extend classes and traits.
Scala Singleton Object Example
object Singleton{
def main(args:Array[String]){
SingletonObject.hello() // No need to create object.
}
}
object SingletonObject{
def hello(){
println("Hello, This is Singleton Object")
}
}
Output:
Hello, This is Singleton Object
In scala, when you have a class with same name as singleton object, it is called companion class and the singleton object is called companion object.
The companion class and its companion object both must be defined in the same source file.
Scala Companion Object Example
class ComapanionClass{
def hello(){
println("Hello, this is Companion Class.")
}
}
object CompanoinObject{
def main(args:Array[String]){
new ComapanionClass().hello()
println("And this is Companion Object.")
}
}
Output:
Hello, this is Companion Class.
And this is Companion Object.
In scala, a class can contain:
1. Data member
2. Member method
3. Constructor Block
4. Nested class
5. Super class information etc.
You must initialize all instance variables in the class. There is no default scope. If you don't specify access scope, it is public. There must be an object in which main method is defined. It provides starting point for your program. Here, we have created an example of class.
Scala Sample Example of Class
class Student{
var id:Int = 0; // All fields must be initialized
var name:String = null;
}
object MainObject{
def main(args:Array[String]){
var s = new Student() // Creating an object
println(s.id+" "+s.name);
}
}
I am sorry, I am too late but I hope it will help you.
The object keyword creates a new singleton type, which is like a class that only has a single named instance. If you’re familiar with Java, declaring an object in Scala is a lot like creating a new instance of an anonymous class.
Scala has no equivalent to Java’s static keyword, and an object is often used in Scala where you might use a class with static members in Java.
Object is a class but it already has(is) an instance, so you can not call new ObjectName. On the other hand, Class is just type and it can be an instance by calling new ClassName().
A class is just like any other class in other languages. You define class just like any other language with some syntax difference.
class Person(val name: String)
val me = new Person("My name")
However, object is a class with single object only. This makes it interesting as it can be used to create static members of a class using companion object. This companion object has access to private members of the class definition and it has the same name as the class you're defining.
class Person(var name: String) {
import Person._
def hi(): String = sayHello(name)
}
object Person {
private def sayHello(name: String): String = "Hello " + name
}
val me = new Person("My name")
me.hi()
Also, noteworthy point is that object class is lazily created which is another important point. So, these are not instantiated unless they are needed in our code.
If you're defining connection creation for JDBC, you can create them inside object to avoid duplication just like we do in Java with singleton objects.
Scala class same as Java Class but scala not gives you any entry method in class, like main method in java. The main method associated with object keyword. You can think of the object keyword as creating a singleton object of a class that is defined implicitly.
more information check this article
class and object keyword in scala programming
The object is similar to the static class in Java to some extend, the static characteristic means the static class need not to create an object when putting to the JVM, it can be used by it's class name directly and the same instance(same data state) is shared wherever it is used.
If you are coming from java background the concept of class in scala is kind of similar to Java, but class in scala cant contain static members.
Objects in scala are singleton type you call methods inside it using object name, in scala object is a keyword and in java object is a instance of class