Java Object Oriented Design - Java interface as type

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An interface defines a new reference type.

We can use an interface type to declare a variable, to declare a parameter type in a method, as a return type of a method, etc.

interface  Shape {
    void  draw();
}
public class Main {
  // interface type as instance variable
  private Shape myShape;

  // interface type as parameter type for a constructor
  public Main(Shape s) {
    this.myShape = s;
  }

  // interface type as return type of a method
  public Shape getShape() {
    return this.myShape;
  }

  // interface type as parameter type for a method
  public void setShape(Shape s) {
    this.myShape = s;
  }

  public void letItSwim() {
    // interface type as a local variable
    Shape locaShape = null;

    locaShape = this.myShape;

    // interface variable can invoke methods
    // declared in the interface and the Object class
    locaShape.draw();
  }
}

Note

A variable of an interface type refers to an object in memory whose class implements that interface.

We can access any constant fields declared in an interface using a variable of the interface type or directly using the interface name.

It is preferred to access the constants of an interface using the interface name.

We can use a variable of an interface type to invoke any methods declared in the interface.

A variable of an interface type can invoke any method of the java.lang.Object class.

An instance or static variable of an interface type is initialized to null by default.

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