University of Central Florida (UCF) COP3330 Object Oriented Programming Final Practice Exam

In Java, a class can be prevented from being inherited by declaring it as final. When a class is marked as final, it cannot be subclassed, meaning no other class can extend it. This helps in scenarios where the class is meant to maintain its implementation and functionality without being altered through inheritance.

Declaring a class as final is particularly useful when creating immutable classes, as it ensures that the behavior of the class will remain consistent and prevents unexpected behavior from subclasses. By using the final keyword, the designer of the class can safeguard its integrity and functionality, ensuring that the class remains unchanged.

The other options such as marking a class as private or using the protected access modifier do not prevent inheritance; instead, they control access and visibility for class members and the class itself. Declaring a class as abstract, while it prevents instantiation, still allows it to be extended by other classes. Hence, the use of final is the appropriate solution for restricting inheritance in Java.