简单来说，LSP是指同一超类的对象应该能够在不破坏任何东西的情况下相互交换。

例如，如果我们有一个从Animal类派生的Cat和Dog类，那么任何使用Animal类的函数都应该能够使用Cat或Dog，并且行为正常。

LSP是关于类的契约的规则:如果基类满足契约，则LSP派生的类也必须满足该契约。

在Pseudo-python

class Base:
   def Foo(self, arg): 
       # *... do stuff*

class Derived(Base):
   def Foo(self, arg):
       # *... do stuff*

如果每次在派生对象上调用Foo，它给出的结果与在Base对象上调用Foo完全相同，只要arg是相同的。

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。

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. [...]

可替代性是面向对象编程中的一个原则，它指出，在计算机程序中，如果S是T的子类型，那么类型T的对象可以被类型S的对象替换

让我们用Java做一个简单的例子:

不好的例子

public class Bird{
    public void fly(){}
}
public class Duck extends Bird{}

鸭子能飞，因为它是鸟，但这个呢:

public class Ostrich extends Bird{}

鸵鸟是一种鸟，但它不能飞，鸵鸟类是鸟类的一个子类，但它不应该能够使用fly方法，这意味着我们打破了LSP原则。

很好的例子

public class Bird{}
public class FlyingBirds extends Bird{
    public void fly(){}
}
public class Duck extends FlyingBirds{}
public class Ostrich extends Bird{} 

LSP说“对象应该被它们的子类型替换”。 另一方面，这一原则指向

子类永远不应该破坏父类的类型定义。

通过以下示例，可以更好地理解LSP。

没有太阳能发电:

public interface CustomerLayout{

    public void render();
}


public FreeCustomer implements CustomerLayout {
     ...
    @Override
    public void render(){
        //code
    }
}


public PremiumCustomer implements CustomerLayout{
    ...
    @Override
    public void render(){
        if(!hasSeenAd)
            return; //it isn`t rendered in this case
        //code
    }
}

public void renderView(CustomerLayout layout){
    layout.render();
}

LSP修复:

public interface CustomerLayout{
    public void render();
}


public FreeCustomer implements CustomerLayout {
     ...
    @Override
    public void render(){
        //code
    }
}


public PremiumCustomer implements CustomerLayout{
    ...
    @Override
    public void render(){
        if(!hasSeenAd)
            showAd();//it has a specific behavior based on its requirement
        //code
    }
}

public void renderView(CustomerLayout layout){
    layout.render();
}