假设我们在代码中使用了一个矩形

r = new Rectangle();
// ...
r.setDimensions(1,2);
r.fill(colors.red());
canvas.draw(r);

在几何课上，我们学过正方形是一种特殊类型的矩形，因为它的长宽相等。让我们根据下面的信息创建一个Square类:

class Square extends Rectangle {
    setDimensions(width, height){
        assert(width == height);
        super.setDimensions(width, height);
    }
} 

如果我们在第一个代码中将矩形替换为正方形，那么它将会中断:

r = new Square();
// ...
r.setDimensions(1,2); // assertion width == height failed
r.fill(colors.red());
canvas.draw(r);

这是因为正方形有一个我们在矩形类中没有的新前提条件:width == height。根据LSP，矩形实例应该被矩形子类实例替代。这是因为这些实例通过了矩形实例的类型检查，因此它们将在代码中导致意外错误。

这是wiki文章中“在子类型中不能加强先决条件”部分的一个例子。因此，总而言之，违反LSP可能会在某些时候导致代码错误。

使用指向基类的指针或引用的函数必须能够在不知道它的情况下使用派生类的对象。

当我第一次阅读LSP时，我认为这是一个非常严格的含义，本质上等同于接口实现和类型安全强制转换。这意味着语言本身要么保证LSP，要么不保证LSP。例如，在严格意义上，ThreeDBoard当然可以取代Board，就编译器而言。

在阅读了更多关于LSP的概念之后，我发现LSP的解释通常比这更广泛。

简而言之，对于客户端代码来说，“知道”指针后面的对象是派生类型而不是指针类型的含义并不仅限于类型安全。对LSP的遵守也可以通过探测对象的实际行为进行测试。也就是说，检查对象的状态和方法参数对方法调用结果或从对象抛出的异常类型的影响。

再次回到示例，理论上Board方法可以在ThreeDBoard上很好地工作。然而，在实践中，在不妨碍ThreeDBoard打算添加的功能的情况下，防止客户端可能无法正确处理的行为差异是非常困难的。

掌握了这些知识后，评估LSP粘附性可以成为一个很好的工具，可以确定何时组合机制更适合扩展现有功能，而不是继承。

让我们用Java来说明:

class TrasportationDevice
{
   String name;
   String getName() { ... }
   void setName(String n) { ... }

   double speed;
   double getSpeed() { ... }
   void setSpeed(double d) { ... }

   Engine engine;
   Engine getEngine() { ... }
   void setEngine(Engine e) { ... }

   void startEngine() { ... }
}

class Car extends TransportationDevice
{
   @Override
   void startEngine() { ... }
}

这里没有问题，对吧?汽车绝对是一种交通工具，在这里我们可以看到它重写了其超类的startEngine()方法。

让我们添加另一个交通工具:

class Bicycle extends TransportationDevice
{
   @Override
   void startEngine() /*problem!*/
}

现在一切都不按计划进行了!是的，自行车是一种交通工具，但是，它没有发动机，因此，startEngine()方法不能实现。

这些都是违反利斯科夫代换法的问题 原则导致，他们通常可以被一个公认的 方法，该方法什么也不做，甚至不能实现。

这些问题的解决方案是一个正确的继承层次结构，在我们的例子中，我们将通过区分带引擎和不带引擎的运输设备类别来解决问题。尽管自行车是一种交通工具，但它没有发动机。在这个例子中，我们对交通工具的定义是错误的。它不应该有引擎。

我们可以像下面这样重构TransportationDevice类:

class TrasportationDevice
{
   String name;
   String getName() { ... }
   void setName(String n) { ... }

   double speed;
   double getSpeed() { ... }
   void setSpeed(double d) { ... }
}

现在我们可以为非机动设备扩展TransportationDevice。

class DevicesWithoutEngines extends TransportationDevice
{  
   void startMoving() { ... }
}

并为机动设备扩展TransportationDevice。这里更适合添加Engine对象。

class DevicesWithEngines extends TransportationDevice
{  
   Engine engine;
   Engine getEngine() { ... }
   void setEngine(Engine e) { ... }

   void startEngine() { ... }
}

因此，我们的Car类变得更加专门化，同时坚持利斯科夫替换原则。

class Car extends DevicesWithEngines
{
   @Override
   void startEngine() { ... }
}

我们的Bicycle类也遵循利斯科夫替换原理。

class Bicycle extends DevicesWithoutEngines
{
   @Override
   void startMoving() { ... }
}

罗伯特·马丁有一篇关于利斯科夫替换原理的优秀论文。它讨论了可能违反原则的微妙和不那么微妙的方式。

论文的一些相关部分(注意，第二个例子被大量压缩):

A Simple Example of a Violation of LSP One of the most glaring violations of this principle is the use of C++ Run-Time Type Information (RTTI) to select a function based upon the type of an object. i.e.: void DrawShape(const Shape& s) { if (typeid(s) == typeid(Square)) DrawSquare(static_cast<Square&>(s)); else if (typeid(s) == typeid(Circle)) DrawCircle(static_cast<Circle&>(s)); } Clearly the DrawShape function is badly formed. It must know about every possible derivative of the Shape class, and it must be changed whenever new derivatives of Shape are created. Indeed, many view the structure of this function as anathema to Object Oriented Design. Square and Rectangle, a More Subtle Violation. However, there are other, far more subtle, ways of violating the LSP. Consider an application which uses the Rectangle class as described below: class Rectangle { public: void SetWidth(double w) {itsWidth=w;} void SetHeight(double h) {itsHeight=w;} double GetHeight() const {return itsHeight;} double GetWidth() const {return itsWidth;} private: double itsWidth; double itsHeight; }; [...] Imagine that one day the users demand the ability to manipulate squares in addition to rectangles. [...] Clearly, a square is a rectangle for all normal intents and purposes. Since the ISA relationship holds, it is logical to model the Square class as being derived from Rectangle. [...] Square will inherit the SetWidth and SetHeight functions. These functions are utterly inappropriate for a Square, since the width and height of a square are identical. This should be a significant clue that there is a problem with the design. However, there is a way to sidestep the problem. We could override SetWidth and SetHeight [...] But consider the following function: void f(Rectangle& r) { r.SetWidth(32); // calls Rectangle::SetWidth } If we pass a reference to a Square object into this function, the Square object will be corrupted because the height won’t be changed. This is a clear violation of LSP. The function does not work for derivatives of its arguments. [...]

Liskov's Substitution Principle(LSP) All the time we design a program module and we create some class hierarchies. Then we extend some classes creating some derived classes. We must make sure that the new derived classes just extend without replacing the functionality of old classes. Otherwise, the new classes can produce undesired effects when they are used in existing program modules. Liskov's Substitution Principle states that if a program module is using a Base class, then the reference to the Base class can be replaced with a Derived class without affecting the functionality of the program module.

例子:

Below is the classic example for which the Liskov's Substitution Principle is violated. In the example, 2 classes are used: Rectangle and Square. Let's assume that the Rectangle object is used somewhere in the application. We extend the application and add the Square class. The square class is returned by a factory pattern, based on some conditions and we don't know the exact what type of object will be returned. But we know it's a Rectangle. We get the rectangle object, set the width to 5 and height to 10 and get the area. For a rectangle with width 5 and height 10, the area should be 50. Instead, the result will be 100

    // Violation of Likov's Substitution Principle
class Rectangle {
    protected int m_width;
    protected int m_height;

    public void setWidth(int width) {
        m_width = width;
    }

    public void setHeight(int height) {
        m_height = height;
    }

    public int getWidth() {
        return m_width;
    }

    public int getHeight() {
        return m_height;
    }

    public int getArea() {
        return m_width * m_height;
    }
}

class Square extends Rectangle {
    public void setWidth(int width) {
        m_width = width;
        m_height = width;
    }

    public void setHeight(int height) {
        m_width = height;
        m_height = height;
    }

}

class LspTest {
    private static Rectangle getNewRectangle() {
        // it can be an object returned by some factory ...
        return new Square();
    }

    public static void main(String args[]) {
        Rectangle r = LspTest.getNewRectangle();

        r.setWidth(5);
        r.setHeight(10);
        // user knows that r it's a rectangle.
        // It assumes that he's able to set the width and height as for the base
        // class

        System.out.println(r.getArea());
        // now he's surprised to see that the area is 100 instead of 50.
    }
}

结论: 这个原则只是开闭原则的延伸 意味着我们必须确保新的派生类正在扩展 基类而不改变它们的行为。

参见:开闭原则

对于更好的结构，还有一些类似的概念:约定优于配置

利科夫替换原则指出，如果程序模块使用基类，则基类的引用可以被派生类替换，而不会影响程序模块的功能。

派生类型必须能够完全替代它们的基类型。

示例- java中的协变返回类型。