Java Method Overriding: Subclasses Override Parent Class Methods to Implement Polymorphism Fundamentals

### Method Overriding: The Java Mechanism for Subclasses to "Modify" Parent Class Methods Method overriding is a Java mechanism where a subclass reimplements a parent class method while keeping the method declaration (such as name and parameter list) unchanged. It is used to extend the parent class's behavior and achieve code reuse. Four key rules must be followed: the method name and parameter list must be exactly the same; the return type must be a subclass of the parent class's return type (covariant); the access modifier must not be more restrictive than the parent class; and the exceptions thrown must be subclasses of the parent class's exceptions or fewer. For example, the `Animal` class defines a general `eat()` method. Subclasses `Dog` and `Cat` override this method to output "Dog eats bones" and "Cat eats fish" respectively, demonstrating different behaviors. This mechanism is the core of polymorphism: when a parent class reference points to a subclass object, the subclass's overridden method is automatically called at runtime, such as `Animal a = new Dog(); a.eat();` which outputs "Dog eats bones". It is important to distinguish method overriding from method overloading (Overload): Overriding occurs in subclasses and aims to modify the parent class's behavior, while overloading occurs in the same class with the same method name but different parameter lists, serving different parameter versions of the same function. Method overriding is crucial for code reuse and extension, as it preserves the parent class's framework while allowing subclasses to customize specific implementations.