Java: Upcasting and Dynamic Dispatch

The declared type of a variable. Frame the concept in practical terms so you can explain it during interview discussion.

In Java, the reference type is the type with which a variable is declared. It determines what methods and properties are accessible at compile-time. For example, if you declare a variable as `Product p`, the reference type is `Product`, and you can only access methods defined in `Product`, even if `p` points to an object of a subclass like `Book`.