Abstract Classes and Named Constants

**snowguy13** · March 5th, 2012, 05:45 PM

Hello, everyone!

I have a quick question relating to... well, if you read the title you already know.

If I had access to an IDE right now, I would check this quick, but I do not. Anyways, I best explain myself through example, so:

public abstract class AbstractSuperclass
{
   //have abstract named constants
   private static abstract final int CONSTANT_A;
   private static abstract final int CONSTANT_B;
}

public class NonAbstractSubclass extends AbstractSuperclass
{
   //constants given values
   CONSTANT_A = 5;
   CONSTANT_B = 2;
}

Is the above code legal? To put it in words, can I define abstract named constants in an abstract class, and then give those constants values in a non-abstract subclass of that abstract class?

**pbrockway2** · March 5th, 2012, 06:50 PM

Member variables can't be abstract. Also you can't assign them later is they are marked "final". Or if they are "private", since in that case they won't be visible. Finally the assignment of values must be within some sort of block (including constructor or method).

So you end up with something like:

public abstract class AbstractSuperclass
{
   static protected int CONSTANT_A;
   static protected int CONSTANT_B;
}
 
class NonAbstractSubclass extends AbstractSuperclass 
{
    static 
    {
        CONSTANT_A = 5;
        CONSTANT_B = 2;
    }
}

**snowguy13** · March 7th, 2012, 02:12 PM

Member variables can't be abstract.

Okay. I understand that the example was poor; it was meant to demonstrate a simple idea, nothing more.

It appears I will go back to the drawing board.

**pbrockway2** · March 7th, 2012, 02:43 PM

Yes - I wondered whether, by removing the "final", I was gutting your example of what you had hoped would be its usefulness. Perhaps it would help if you said how you want the classes to behave or what they ought to do.

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