Can We Change the Scope of the Overridden Method in the Subclass in Java?

No, you cannot change the scope of an overridden method in a subclass in Java.

The scope of a method is determined by its access modifier. When you override a method in a subclass, you are essentially providing a new implementation for the same method signature. This signature includes the method name, return type, and parameter list, but not the access modifier.

Here's why:

• Method overriding aims to provide a specialized implementation of an inherited method. Changing the scope would alter the visibility of the method, potentially breaking existing code that relies on the original method's access level.
• Java enforces strict rules for method overriding. The overriding method must have the same signature as the overridden method. Changing the scope would violate this rule.

Example:

Let's say you have a base class Animal with a public method makeSound().

public class Animal {
    public void makeSound() {
        System.out.println("Generic animal sound");
    }
}

If you create a subclass Dog that overrides makeSound(), you cannot change its scope to protected or private.

public class Dog extends Animal {
    // This is illegal!
    // protected void makeSound() { 
    //     System.out.println("Woof!"); 
    // }
}

In summary, the scope of an overridden method in Java must remain the same as the overridden method in the superclass. You can only change the implementation of the method.