In object-oriented programming (OOP), inheritance allows a class (subclass or derived class) to inherit properties and methods from another class (superclass or base class). The super() call plays a crucial role in managing this relationship, especially within constructors.

the primary function of super() is to allow a subclass to access and invoke methods (including the constructor) of its superclass. This is essential for initializing the inherited properties and ensuring that the superclass’s logic is executed when an object of the subclass is created.

The Role of super() in Java

In Java, super() is primarily used within constructors to call the constructor of the superclass [1]. When a subclass constructor doesn’t explicitly call super(), the Java compiler automatically inserts a call to the superclass’s no-argument constructor. however, if the superclass only defines constructors with arguments, the subclass must explicitly call one of them using super().

“Through super, we can call the other constructor from within the current constructor when needed.” [1]

Consider this exmaple:

class Animal {
    String name;

    Animal(String name) {
        this.name = name;
    }
}

class Dog extends Animal {
    String breed;

    Dog(String name,String breed) {
        super(name); // Calling the Animal constructor
        this.breed = breed;
    }
}
                

In this case, the Dog constructor uses super(name) to call the Animal constructor, initializing the name property inherited from the Animal class.

Understanding super() in Python

In Python, super() is used to call methods of a parent class. It is particularly useful in the context of multiple inheritance, where it helps ensure that methods are called in the correct order according to the method resolution order (MRO) [2].

here’s a Python example:

class Animal:
    def __init__(self, name):
        self.name = name

class Dog(Animal):
    def __init__(self, name, breed):
        super().__init__(name)  # Calling the Animal constructor
        self.breed = breed
                

Similar to the Java example, the Dog constructor in Python uses super().__init__(name) to call the Animal constructor, initializing the name attribute.

The advantage of using super() in Python, especially with multiple inheritance, is that it dynamically resolves the next class in the MRO, making the code more maintainable and less prone to errors compared to hardcoding the parent class name [2].