AP CSA Unit 3 Day 9: Inheritance Constructor Calls

Unit 3, Classes & Objects • Cycle 2
Day 9 Advanced Practice • Harder Difficulty
Focus: Inheritance Constructor Calls Hard Inheritance Constructor Calls

Advanced Practice Question

Format: Inheritance Constructor Calls

What is the output?
public class Base {
    public Base() {
        System.out.print("X");
    }
}

public class Derived extends Base {
    public Derived() {
        System.out.print("Y");
    }
}

// In another class:
Derived d = new Derived();
Difficulty: Hard  |  Topic: Inheritance Constructor Calls  |  Cycle: 2 (Advanced)
Why This Answer?

The subclass constructor automatically calls super() FIRST (even if not written explicitly), which prints X. Then the subclass constructor body prints Y.

Common Mistake
Watch Out!

Thinking the subclass constructor runs before the superclass constructor.

AP Exam Strategy

Constructors execute superclass first, then subclass (inside-out construction).

Master This Topic

This Cycle 2 HARD question tests inheritance constructor calls. Review Unit 3 concepts to build mastery of classes & objects.

  • Understanding inheritance constructor calls
  • Tracing code execution accurately
  • Avoiding common pitfalls
View Unit 3 Study Guide

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