Why is this valid boolean b = new A() {} instanceof A; if A is an abstract class? [closed]

Question

I have trouble understanding why this boolean b = new A() {} instanceof A; is a valid statement and not boolean b = new A() instanceof A; and why the former is true knowing that A is an abstract class.

Answer 1

The instanceof A has nothing to do with whether the statement is valid or not, so your question is simpler if you leave it off from both statements:

A a = new A() {};
A a = new A();

The second statement isn't valid because A is abstract and you can't call new on any abstract class. If you could instantiate it, it would be an instance of A, but you can't.

The first statement is valid because it creates an anonymous class that extends A. This anonymous class isn't abstract (assuming A doesn't define any abstract methods), and so it can be instantiated. It's an instance of A because all subclasses are instances of their parent classes, abstract or not. It's basically a shortcut for saying:

public class AnonymousNameIDontCareAbout extends A {}
A a = new AnonymousNameIDontCareAbout();