A java interviewer quizzed me why my equals() implementation insists on both objects having exactly the same runtime type, and rejecting a derived object. He questioned what if we happen to have
B var1 = new Derived(1,2); B var2 = new B(1);
and the B portion of both objects are identical?
Biggest problem with this type of polymorphic equals() — X === Y === Z doesn’t mean X === Z. Suppose the base sub-object of X/Y/Z are identical. Y is a base object. Therefore Y.equals(X) == true == Y.equals(Z), but X and Z are subtype instances, and different.
I’m a purist with high standard. If my equals() determines 2 objects to be equals, then I “swear” they are indistinguishable and interchangeable carbon copies.
It’s generally safe to be strict writing equals() — insist both objects’ actual types at runtime are identical.
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