Why to use Polymorphism?

Question

I have the following code in which I have a parent class and its child. I am trying to determine how the code benefits from using polymorphism.

class FlyingMachines {
    public void fly() {
        System.out.println("No implementation");
    }
}

class Jet extends FlyingMachines {
    public void fly() {
        System.out.println("Start, Taxi, Fly");
    }

    public void bombardment() {
        System.out.println("Throw Missile");
    }
}

public class PolymorphicTest {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        FlyingMachines flm = new Jet();
        flm.fly();

        Jet j = new Jet();
        j.bombardment();
        j.fly();
    }
}

What is the advantage of polymorphism when both flm.fly() and j.fly() give me the same answer?

Answer 1

let's look at OO design first, inheritance represents a IS-A relationship, generally we can say something like "let our FlyingMachines fly". every specific FlyingMachines (sub class) IS-A FlyingMachines (parent class), let say Jet, fits this "let our FlyingMachines fly", while we want this flying actually be the fly function of the specific one (sub class), that's polymorphism take over.

so we do things in abstract way, oriented interfaces and base class, do not actually depend on detail implementation, polymorphism will do the right thing!