The super() function is a built-in function in both Python and Java, but it serves slightly different purposes in each language. In general, super() is used to call methods from a parent or superclass. This is particularly useful in the context of inheritance, where a subclass inherits properties and methods from its parent class.

super() in Python

It’s rather hand-wavey and doesn’t tell us much, but the point of super is not to avoid writing the parent …

In Python, super() is used to access methods of a parent class. It’s especially helpful in multiple inheritance scenarios [1]. The primary advantage of using super() is that it avoids explicitly naming the base class,making code more maintainable and flexible [1].

When dealing with multiple inheritance, super() ensures that methods are called in the correct order, following the method resolution order (MRO) [2]. This prevents issues that can arise when multiple parent classes define methods with the same name.

super() in Java

In Java, super() is primarily used to call a parent class’s constructor [3].It can also be used to access overridden methods or hidden fields from the superclass [3]. When a subclass constructor is called,the first statement is typically a call to super() to initialize the superclass’s state.

Unlike Python, Java does not support multiple inheritance of classes directly (though it does support multiple inheritance of interfaces). Therefore,the use of super() in Java is generally simpler,focusing on initializing the parent class and accessing its members.