Advertisement
Google Ad Slot: content-top
Java Inheritance
Inheritance is one of the key principles of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP). It allows a class (child or subclass) to inherit the properties (fields) and behaviors (methods) of another class (parent or superclass). This helps in code reuse and establishing a hierarchical relationship between classes.
Syntax:
class Parent {
// Parent class properties and methods
}
class Child extends Parent {
// Child class properties and methods
}
Types of Inheritance
Java supports the following types of inheritance:
1.Single Inheritance: A class inherits from one parent class.
Example
class Animal {
void eat() {
System.out.println("This animal can eat.");
}
}
class Dog extends Animal {
void bark() {
System.out.println("The dog barks.");
}
}
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
Dog dog = new Dog();
dog.eat(); // Inherited from Animal
dog.bark(); // Defined in Dog
}
}
2.Multilevel Inheritance: A class inherits from another class, which itself is a subclass of another class.
Example
class Animal {
void eat() {
System.out.println("This animal can eat.");
}
}
class Mammal extends Animal {
void walk() {
System.out.println("Mammals can walk.");
}
}
class Dog extends Mammal {
void bark() {
System.out.println("The dog barks.");
}
}
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
Dog dog = new Dog();
dog.eat(); // Inherited from Animal
dog.walk(); // Inherited from Mammal
dog.bark(); // Defined in Dog
}
}
3.Hierarchical Inheritance: Multiple classes inherit from the same parent class.
Example
class Animal {
void eat() {
System.out.println("This animal can eat.");
}
}
class Dog extends Animal {
void bark() {
System.out.println("The dog barks.");
}
}
class Cat extends Animal {
void meow() {
System.out.println("The cat meows.");
}
}
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
Dog dog = new Dog();
dog.eat();
dog.bark();
Cat cat = new Cat();
cat.eat();
cat.meow();
}
}