Sealing classes and interfaces enhances control over inheritance in Java by restricting which classes or interfaces can inherit or implement them. The problem is that before introducing sealed classes, any class can inherit non-final classes, and any class can implement interfaces, resulting in potential security and maintenance issues. When using sealed classes, developers must explicitly declare a list of subclasses that allow inheritance or implementation, such as public sealed class Shape permits Circle, Rectangle, Triangle {}, ensuring that only the specified class can be extended or implemented. Key rules include: All allowed subclasses must be in the same module or package and must be explicitly declared. Sealing classes are suitable for scenarios such as restricting inheritance, building domain models, designing APIs, and using pattern matching, providing a safer and clearer design for the type hierarchy.
Sealed classes and interfaces in Java are features introduced to give developers more control over inheritance . In short, they let you specify exactly which classes or interfaces can extend or implement them. This is useful when you want to limit who can inherit from a class or implement an interface, making your code safer and more predictable.

What problem do sealed classes solve?
Before sealed classes, any class could extend another class (unless it was marked final
), and any class could implement an interface. That openness can sometimes lead to issues:
- Unexpected subclasses breaking assumptions
- Harder-to-maintain hierarchies because anyone can add new implementations
- Difficulty reasoning about all possible subtypes
With sealed classes and interfaces, you can explicitly declare which classes are allowed to extend or implement them, no guessing involved.

How do you define a sealed class or interface?
You use the sealed
keyword after the class or interface declaration, followed by the permits
clause listing the allowed subclasses or implementations.
public sealed class Shape permits Circle, Rectangle, Triangle { // class body }
In this example, only Circle
, Rectangle
, and Triangle
can extend Shape
. No other class can.

You can also spread the subclasses across different files, but they must be in the same module or package, depending on how your project is structured.
If the subclasses are in the same file, they can be declared as non-sealed
or final
, depending on whether you want them to allow further extension.
Example:
public sealed interface Animal permits Dog, Cat {} public final class Dog implements Animal { ... } public non-sealed class Cat implements Animal { ... }
Here, Dog
can't be extended further because it's final
, while Cat
can be if needed.
Key rules and restrictions
There are a few important things to keep in mind:
- The allowed subclasses must be in the same module (if using modules) or package.
- All permitted subclasses must explicitly extend or implement the sealed class or interface.
- You can't have a sealed class without specifying the
permits
clause unless all subclasses are in the same file.
Also, sealed classes work well with pattern matching for switch
and instanceof
, especially when you know all the possible subtypes — that makes exhaustive checks easier.
When should you use sealed classes?
Use sealed classes when:
- You want to restrict which classes can extend or implement something
- You're building domain models where only certain types are valid
- You're designing APIs and want stricter control over extension
- You're using pattern matching and want the compiler to help ensure completeness
They're particularly helpful in modeling algebraic data types (like enums but with more flexibility).
So, sealed classes and interfaces are a neat way to tighten up inheritance and make your type hierarchies more intentional and safe. They don't replace final
or regular inheritance, but they offer a middle ground where you can say, "Only these specific types are allowed."
Basically that's it.
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