What is Inheritance in C++
Inheritance is a fundamental concept in object-oriented programming (OOP) that allows a class to inherit properties and behaviors from another class. In C++, inheritance is a way to create a new class (derived class) from an existing class (base class). This relationship between classes is known as an “is-a” relationship, as the derived class is a specialized version of the base class.
The concept of inheritance is essential in C++ as it promotes code reusability and helps in organizing and structuring the code in a more manageable way. By inheriting from a base class, a derived class can access all the public and protected members of the base class, including its methods and attributes. This allows developers to build upon existing code, saving time and effort in the development process.
There are two types of inheritance in C++: single inheritance and multiple inheritance. Single inheritance occurs when a derived class inherits from only one base class, while multiple inheritance happens when a derived class inherits from more than one base class. In this article, we will focus on single inheritance, which is the most commonly used form of inheritance in C++.
To demonstrate the concept of inheritance in C++, let’s consider a simple example. Suppose we have a base class called “Vehicle,” which represents a generic vehicle. This base class will have some common properties and methods that all vehicles share, such as “speed” and “startEngine.”
“`cpp
class Vehicle {
public:
int speed;
void startEngine() {
cout << "Engine started." << endl;
}
};
```
Now, let's create a derived class called "Car" that inherits from the "Vehicle" class. The "Car" class will have additional properties and methods specific to cars, such as "numberOfDoors."
```cpp
class Car : public Vehicle {
public:
int numberOfDoors;
void accelerate() {
cout << "Car is accelerating." << endl;
}
};
```
In the above code, the "Car" class inherits the "speed" attribute and the "startEngine" method from the "Vehicle" class. Additionally, the "Car" class has its own method, "accelerate," which is specific to cars. By using inheritance, we have successfully created a specialized class (Car) from a more general class (Vehicle).
One of the key benefits of inheritance is that it allows us to override methods from the base class in the derived class. This means that if the base class has a method that needs to be implemented differently in the derived class, we can override it by providing a new implementation in the derived class. For example:
```cpp
class Car : public Vehicle {
public:
int numberOfDoors;
void startEngine() {
cout << "Car engine started." << endl;
}
void accelerate() {
cout << "Car is accelerating." << endl;
}
};
```
In this modified code, the "startEngine" method in the "Car" class overrides the method from the "Vehicle" class, providing a specific implementation for cars.
In conclusion, inheritance in C++ is a powerful concept that allows developers to create new classes by inheriting properties and behaviors from existing classes. This promotes code reusability, organization, and maintainability. By understanding and utilizing inheritance effectively, developers can build robust and scalable object-oriented applications.
