Python’s super()

In Python, super() is primarily used to call methods (often __init__, the constructor) from a parent or sibling class, especially in the context of multiple inheritance. It simplifies the process of calling methods from parent classes without explicitly naming them, making code more maintainable and flexible.

When dealing with multiple inheritance, super() relies on the method resolution order (MRO) to determine the order in which parent classes are searched for a method. The MRO is a predictable order in which Python searches for inherited methods [1].

Such as, consider two classes, First and Second, both inheriting from a common base class.If First‘s __init__ method calls super().__init__(), Python will consult the MRO to find the next class in line (in this case, possibly Second) and call its __init__ method. A subsequent call to `super()` within `Second`’s `__init__` would continue the search along the MRO [1].

“super() simplifies the process of calling methods from parent classes without explicitly naming them.”

However, using super() with argument passing can sometimes be tricky, especially when the __init__ methods of different parent classes expect different arguments. some approaches to using `super()` might not work as expected in these scenarios [2].

Java’s super()

In Java, super() is used to call a parent class’s constructor or to access overridden methods and hidden fields from the parent class [3]. When calling a parent’s constructor, super() must be the first statement in the child class’s constructor.

The super keyword in Java can also be used to invoke a superclass’s methods that have been overridden in the subclass. This allows the subclass to extend the functionality of the parent class while still utilizing the parent’s original implementation.