Extending a member inner class

Question

I have a class
public class A{
class InnerClassB{
Now the question is how to extend the inner class would it be
class ExtendingInnerClassB extends A.B{
or else?
I am not sure anybody knows?

Answer 1

Regarding inheritance from inner classes you must define your constructor:
public ExtendedInnerClass(EnclosingClass EC) { EC.super(); }
why?????
well
1. Where is the handle? The handle is an internal thing which is designed to accept the enclosing class. It is something which is not in the programmer's control. when there is an inner class, it is natural that the inner class cannot exist without its outer class. And that is the reason why the instantiation of an inner class is done using new OuterClass().new Innerclass(). U can see that the innerClass object is created based on the outer class object (assuming that the inner Class is not static). I hope that this is clear. Now .. the whole point is how does the compiler know that the Outerclass is the enclosing class? When the above line is compiled, the tricky handle in the inner class is assigned to the Outer class. So any reference henceforth is made based on this handle.
2. In the Inherited Inner class, there is no way to assoicate the handle in the above manner. Hence we are forcing by calling the super().
3 Otherwise why not simply create with: new InheritedInnerClass(EnclosingClass)? This is not possible. What if the inherited inner class needs a constructor in the above manner. That is assume that there is a class A. Then if the Inner Class needs the constructor to be InnerClass(A a, EnclosingClass b) for some other purpose, then what judgement can the compiler take? So that answers the question <b>Can't the compiler compile the inherited inner class assuming a handle to the enclosing class and then force an instance to be created using the EnclosingClass.new syntax?</b> Becuase in this case it cant go by any assumption.
4. Maybe the compiler designers can make some change such that the inherited inner class should have all its constructors beginning with the enclosing object and there should be atleast one constructor. But somehow I feel that it is too much of asking.