Introduction to Inheritance
Inheritance in C++ is a fundamental concept of Object-Oriented Programming that allows one class (derived or child class) to inherit attributes and behaviors (members) from another class (base or parent class). This enables code reusability, as common functionality can be defined once in a base class and reused by multiple derived classes. It promotes hierarchical classifications and modular programming. Inheritance also helps reduce redundancy and improves maintainability. Derived classes can override or extend the behavior of the base class. Access specifiers (public, protected, private) control how base class members are accessed. It supports polymorphism, dynamic binding, and virtual functions, which are key to advanced OOP design.
Benefits of Inheritance
- Promotes reusability by enabling derived classes to use base class features.
- Reduces redundancy and duplication of code.
- Enhances readability and maintainability by organizing code in a hierarchy.
- Facilitates polymorphism and dynamic binding.
- Encourages modularity in object-oriented design.
- Makes extending and upgrading applications easier.
Syntax of Inheritance
General Syntax:
class DerivedClass : accessSpecifier BaseClass {
// body of derived class
};
Example:
class Animal {
public:
void eat() {
cout << “This animal eats food.” << endl;
}
};
class Dog : public Animal {
public:
void bark() {
cout << “Dog barks.” << endl;
}
};