What is an example of inheritance in C++?

Can you explain inheritance in C++ with an example?

Sure! In C++, inheritance allows a class to inherit properties and methods from another class. For example, if we have a base class called Animal, we can create a derived class called Dog that inherits from Animal. Here's a simple code example:

class Animal {
public:
    void speak() {
        cout << "Animal speaks";
    }
};

class Dog : public Animal {
public:
    void speak() {
        cout << "Dog barks";
    }
};

In this example, Dog inherits the speak method from Animal, but it can also override it.

What happens if I don't override the method in the derived class?

If you don't override the method in the derived class, the derived class will inherit the method from the base class. So, if you call speak() on an instance of Dog, it will execute the speak() method from the Animal class, which outputs "Animal speaks".

Can you show me how to use the base class method in the derived class?

Absolutely! You can call the base class method using the scope resolution operator ::. Here's how you can do it:

class Dog : public Animal {
public:
    void speak() {
        Animal::speak(); // Calls the base class method
        cout << "Dog barks";
    }
};

In this case, when you call speak() on a Dog object, it will first call the speak() method from Animal and then output "Dog barks".

Thanks! This really helps me understand inheritance better.

You're welcome! I'm glad to hear that. If you have any more questions about C++ or programming in general, feel free to ask!