1. In Java Generics:
* Class Bound: This refers to a constraint placed on a type parameter in a generic class or method. It specifies that the type argument must be a subclass of a particular class. This allows you to ensure that the type argument has certain methods or properties.
Example:
```java
public class MyClass // ...
}
```
In this example, the type parameter `T` has a class bound of `Number`. This means that only classes that are subclasses of `Number` (like `Integer`, `Double`, etc.) can be used as type arguments for `MyClass`.
2. In Object-Oriented Programming (OOP):
* Class Bound: This refers to a constraint placed on the type of objects that can be used in a certain context. For example, a method might be bound to a specific class, meaning it can only be called on objects of that class.
Example:
```java
class Animal {
public void eat() {
// ...
}
}
class Dog extends Animal {
public void bark() {
// ...
}
}
Animal myAnimal = new Dog();
myAnimal.eat(); // This is allowed
myAnimal.bark(); // This is not allowed, as bark() is bound to Dog
```
3. In other contexts:
* Class Bound: This term can also refer to a specific limit or restriction related to a class or its members. For example, a class might have a bound on the number of instances that can be created or a bound on the size of its data members.
It's important to note:
* The specific meaning of "class bound" will depend on the context. Pay attention to the surrounding information to understand the intended meaning.
* In Java, you can use the "extends" keyword to specify a class bound for type parameters.
Let me know if you'd like more details on any of these concepts!