Java `final` method: what does it promise?

What kind of "contract" does a final method promise?

Look at it the other way, any non final method makes the implicit guarantee that you can override it with your own implementation and the class will still work as expected. When you can't guarantee that your class supports overwriting a method you should make it final.

As mentioned, final is used with a Java method to mark that the method can't be overridden (for object scope) or hidden (for static). This allows the original developer to create functionality that cannot be changed by subclasses, and that is all the guarantee it provides.

This means that if the method relies on other customizable components like non-public fields/methods the functionality of the final method may still be customizable. This is good though as (with polymorphism) it allows for partial customization.

There are a number of reasons to prevent something from being customizable, including:

• Performance -- Some compilers can analyse and optimise the operation, especially the one without side-effects.

• Obtain encapsulated data -- look at immutable Objects where their attributes are set at the construction time and should never be changed. Or a calculated value derived from those attributes. A good example is the Java String class.

• Reliability and Contract -- Objects are composed of primitives (int, char, double, etc.) and/or other Objects. Not all operations applicable to those components should be applicable or even logical when they are used in the bigger Object. Methods with the final modifier can be used to ensure that. The Counter class is a good example.

---

public class Counter {
    private int counter = 0;

    public final int count() {
        return counter++;
    }

    public final int reset() {
        return (counter = 0);
    }
}

If the public final int count() method is not final, we can do something like this:

Counter c = new Counter() {   
    public int count() {
        super.count();   
        return super.count();   
    } 
}

c.count(); // now count 2

Or something like this:

Counter c = new Counter() {
    public int count() {
        int lastCount = 0;
        for (int i = super.count(); --i >= 0; ) {
            lastCount = super.count();
        }

        return lastCount;
    }
}

c.count(); // Now double count