Overriding That Extends Superclass Output

One of the most common override forms in AP CSA is a toString() that extends the parent's text rather than replacing it. The subclass calls super.toString(), then concatenates its own information.

The same approach applies to any method returning a String — descriptions, summaries, labels — where the subclass should add detail without losing the parent's wording.

On the AP exam, this pattern appears in inheritance FRQs that ask for a hierarchical String representation.

The template

@Override
public String toString() {
    return super.toString() + ", subclassField=" + subclassField;
}

Concrete example

public class Vehicle {
    private String make;
    public Vehicle(String m) { make = m; }
    public String toString() {
        return "Make: " + make;
    }
}

public class Car extends Vehicle {
    private int doors;
    public Car(String m, int d) { super(m); doors = d; }
    @Override
    public String toString() {
        return super.toString() + ", Doors: " + doors;
    }
}

new Car("Toyota", 4).toString() returns "Make: Toyota, Doors: 4".

Hierarchical chains

If a class further extends Car (say, SportsCar), the chain continues:

@Override
public String toString() {
    return super.toString() + ", Top Speed: " + topSpeed;
}

Each level adds its own piece. The full string reflects every ancestor.