The main method in Java cannot be rewritten because it is a static method and belongs to a class rather than an instance. 2. Subclasses can define their own main method, but this is not a rewrite, but a new method with the same name. 3. The main method can be overloaded, but only public static void main(String[]) will be recognized by the JVM as the program entry. 4. Each class can have an independent main method, and the entry point is selected by specifying the class name at runtime.
Yes, the main method cannot be overridden in Java.
Let's break this down clearly and explain why.
What is the main
method?
The main
method is the entry point of a Java program. It looks like this:
public static void main(String[] args) { // code here }
It must be:
-
public
(so it's accessible from outside) -
static
(so it can be called without creating an instance) -
void
(doesn't return anything)
Because it's static
, it belongs to the class rather than any instance — and that's the key reason you can't override it.
Why can't the main method be overridden?
Method overriding in Java works with instance methods , not static
methods. When you override a method, you're changing the behavior of an object based on its actual type at runtime. But since main
is static
, it's tied to the class it's defined in — not to any particular object.
So even if you create a subclass and define a main
method there, it doesn't override the parent's main
. Instead, it just adds another main
method to that subclass.
Example:
class Parent { public static void main(String[] args) { System.out.println("Parent main"); } } class Child extends Parent { public static void main(String[] args) { System.out.println("Child main"); } }
Running Parent
will call Parent.main()
.
Running Child
will call Child.main()
.
They are treated as separate methods.
Can you overload the main method?
Yes, you can overload the main
method — meaning you can define other versions of it with different parameters. However, only the original public static void main(String[])
will be recognized by the JVM as the program entry point.
Example:
public class MyApp { public static void main(String[] args) { System.out.println("Main with String[]"); } public static void main(String args) { System.out.println("Main with String"); } }
In this case, only the first one ( String[]
) gets called when you run the program.
Practical takeaway
If you're working with multiple classes and want different entry points:
- Each class can have its own
main
method. - You choose which one to run by specifying the class name when launching the program:
java Parent # or java Child
Overriding isn't possible, but having multiple mains across classes is perfectly fine.
Basically that's it. The main
method is special, and while you can't override it, you have flexibility through overloading and defining it in multiple classes.
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