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Inheritance

Definition

Inheritance is a concept in object-oriented programming where a class inherits the properties and behaviors of another class. It allows for code reuse and promotes the creation of hierarchical relationships between classes.

Analogy

Think of inheritance like passing down traits from parents to children. Just like how you inherit certain physical characteristics or talents from your parents, in programming, a child class can inherit attributes and methods from its parent class.

Related terms

Encapsulation: Encapsulation is the practice of hiding internal details and providing access to only necessary information through methods. It helps maintain data integrity and protects sensitive information.

Superclass: A superclass is the parent class in an inheritance hierarchy. It serves as a blueprint for creating subclasses that inherit its properties and behaviors.

Subclass: A subclass is a child class that inherits properties and behaviors from its superclass. It can add additional features or override existing ones inherited from the superclass.



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© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.