Overriding equals() & hashCode() in sub classes … considering super fields

Question

Is there a specific rule on how Overriding equals() & hashCode() in sub classes considering super fields ?? k

Answer 1

Well, HomoSapiens#hashcode will be enough with CPerkins's answer.

@Override     
public int hashCode() {     
    int hash = super.hashCode();
    hash = 89 * hash + Objects.hash(name);     
    hash = 89 * hash + Objects.hash(faceBookNickname);     
    return hash;     
}

If you want those parent's fields(gender, weight, height) in action, one way is creating an actual instance of parent type and use it. Thank God, it's not an abstract class.

@Override
public boolean equals(Object obj) {
    if (obj == null) {
        return false;
    }
    if (getClass() != obj.getClass()) {
        return false;
    }
    final HomoSapiens other = (HomoSapiens) obj;
    if (!super.equals(new Hominidae(
        other.gender, other.weight, other.height))) {
         return false;
    }
    if (!Objects.equals(name, other.name)) return false;
    if (!Objects.equals(faceBookNickname, other.faceBookNickname))
        return false;
    return true;
}

I'm adding a way to (I think) solve this. The key point is adding a method loosely checks the equality.

public class Parent {

    public Parent(final String name) {
        super(); this.name = name;
    }

    @Override
    public int hashCode() {
        return hash = 53 * 7 + Objects.hashCode(name);
    }

    @Override
    public boolean equals(final Object obj) {
        return equalsAs(obj) && getClass() == obj.getClass();
    }

    protected boolean equalsAs(final Object obj) {
        if (this == obj) return true;
        if (obj == null) return false;
        if (!getClass().isAssignableFrom(obj.getClass())) return false;
        final Parent other = (Parent) obj;
        if (!Objects.equals(name, other.name)) return false;
        return true;
    }

    private final String name;
}

And here comes the Child.

public class Child extends Parent {

    public Child(final String name, final int age) {
        super(name); this.age = age;
    }

    @Override
    public int hashCode() {
        return hash = 31 * super.hashCode() + age;
    }

    @Override
    public boolean equals(final Object obj) {
        return super.equals(obj);
    }

    @Override
    protected boolean equalsAs(final Object obj) {
        if (!super.equalsAs(obj)) return false;
        if (!getClass().isAssignableFrom(obj.getClass())) return false;
        final Child other = (Child) obj;
        if (age != other.age) return false;
        return true;
    }

    private final int age;
}

Testing...

@Test(invocationCount = 128)
public void assertReflective() {
    final String name = current().nextBoolean() ? "null" : null;
    final int age = current().nextInt();
    final Child x = new Child(name, age);
    assertTrue(x.equals(x));
    assertEquals(x.hashCode(), x.hashCode());
}

@Test(invocationCount = 128)
public void assertSymmetric() {
    final String name = current().nextBoolean() ? "null" : null;
    final int age = current().nextInt();
    final Child x = new Child(name, age);
    final Child y = new Child(name, age);
    assertTrue(x.equals(y));
    assertEquals(x.hashCode(), y.hashCode());
    assertTrue(y.equals(x));
    assertEquals(y.hashCode(), x.hashCode());
}

@Test(invocationCount = 128)
public void assertTransitive() {
    final String name = current().nextBoolean() ? "null" : null;
    final int age = current().nextInt();
    final Child x = new Child(name, age);
    final Child y = new Child(name, age);
    final Child z = new Child(name, age);
    assertTrue(x.equals(y));
    assertEquals(x.hashCode(), y.hashCode());
    assertTrue(y.equals(z));
    assertEquals(y.hashCode(), z.hashCode());
    assertTrue(x.equals(z));
    assertEquals(x.hashCode(), z.hashCode());
}