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Computer Programming with C++: Inheritance Overview

Welcome to the "Computer Programming with C++" course repository! This section provides an overview of inheritance, a fundamental concept in C++ and object-oriented programming (OOP).

What is Inheritance?

Inheritance is a mechanism in C++ that allows one class (called a derived or child class) to inherit attributes and methods from another class (called a base or parent class). It's a way to form new classes using classes that have already been defined. The primary goal of inheritance is to provide code reusability and establish a relationship between different classes.

Key Concepts

  • Base Class (Parent Class): The class whose properties and functions can be inherited.
  • Derived Class (Child Class): The class that inherits from another class.
  • Single Inheritance: When a class inherits from only one base class.
  • Multiple Inheritance: When a class inherits from more than one base class.

Syntax

Here's a simple syntax for defining a derived class from a single base class:

class BaseClass {
  // Base class members
};

class DerivedClass : public BaseClass {
  // Derived class members
};

Types of Inheritance in C++

  1. Single Inheritance: Deriving a new class from a single parent class.
  2. Multiple Inheritance: Deriving a new class from more than one parent class.
  3. Hierarchical Inheritance: Multiple classes are derived from a single base class.
  4. Multilevel Inheritance: Deriving a class from another derived class.
  5. Hybrid Inheritance: A combination of two or more types of inheritance.

Access Specifiers

Inheritance in C++ is controlled by three access specifiers:

  • public: Members of the base class are public in the derived class.
  • protected: Members of the base class are protected in the derived class.
  • private: Members of the base class are private in the derived class.

Advantages of Inheritance

  • Code Reusability: Reuse attributes and methods of the existing class when creating a new class.
  • Method Overriding: Redefine the base class's methods in the derived class.
  • Polymorphism: Allows us to use the same interface for different underlying forms (data types).

Example

Below is a simple example of inheritance in C++:

#include <iostream>

// Base class
class Animal {
public:
    void speak() {
        std::cout << "Some sound" << std::endl;
    }
};

// Derived class
class Dog : public Animal {
public:
    void speak() {
        std::cout << "Woof woof!" << std::endl;
    }
};

int main() {
    Dog myDog;
    myDog.speak();  // Output: Woof woof!
    return 0;
}

In this example, Dog is a derived class that inherits from the Animal base class. We have overridden the speak method in the Dog class to provide a more specific implementation.

Conclusion

Inheritance is a powerful feature of C++ that promotes code reusability and logical relationships among classes. It's a cornerstone of OOP and essential for creating complex software systems with C++. Explore this repository for more examples and exercises related to inheritance.