C++ Inheritance vs Composition

What is the difference between inheritance and composition in C++?

Inheritance allows a class to inherit properties and methods from another class, while composition involves building classes using other classes as components.

Can you give me an example of inheritance in C++?

Sure! In C++, you can create a base class called Animal and a derived class Dog that inherits from Animal. This way, Dog can use properties and methods defined in Animal.

What about composition? How does it work?

In composition, you can create a class Car that has an Engine class as a member. This means Car is composed of Engine, and you can create different types of engines without changing the Car class.

Which one is better to use in C++?

It depends on the situation. Use inheritance when there is a clear hierarchical relationship, and use composition when you want to build complex types from simpler ones.