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Module 7: Advanced Object-Oriented Concepts

Lesson focus

Casting, instanceof, and Pattern Matching

Use safe casting techniques, pattern matching, and `sealed` classes to enforce invariants.

Prefer instanceof pattern matching (if (obj instanceof Order order)) to reduce explicit casts and improve clarity.

Downcasting couples code to specific subclasses; wrap behaviors in polymorphic methods instead when possible.

Sealed classes (Java 17+) restrict which classes may extend a base type, enabling exhaustive switch expressions.

Lesson quiz

What benefit do sealed classes provide?

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