The keyword super() plays a crucial role in object-oriented programming, specifically in the context of inheritance. It allows a subclass to access members (methods and constructors) of its parent class. while the fundamental concept remains the same, the implementation and nuances differ slightly between languages like Java and Python.

In both languages, super() is primarily used to:

• Call a parent class’s constructor.
• Invoke overridden methods from the parent class.
• Access hidden fields of the parent class (though this is less common).

In Java,super() is often used to call the constructor of the parent class [[1]]. When a subclass constructor doesn’t explicitly call super(), the no-argument constructor of the superclass is automatically invoked [[2]]. Though, if the superclass constructor requires arguments, the subclass must explicitly call super(arguments) to pass the necessary values [[2]].

“In general, the super keyword can be used to call overridden methods, access hidden fields or invoke a superclass’s constructor.” [[1]]

Beyond constructors, super can also be used to call methods that have been overridden in the subclass. This allows you to extend the functionality of the parent class method without completely replacing it.

Python’s super() function provides a way to access methods of a base class from within a subclass [[3]]. It’s especially useful in multiple inheritance scenarios, where the method resolution order (MRO) determines the order in which base classes are searched for a method [[3]].

Unlike Java, Python’s super() doesn’t automatically call the parent’s constructor. You must explicitly call super().__init__() within the subclass’s __init__() method to initialize the parent class.