What is the difference between composition and inheritance in programming?

What is the difference between composition and inheritance in programming?

Composition and inheritance are both ways to achieve code reuse in object-oriented programming. Inheritance allows a class to inherit properties and methods from another class, creating a parent-child relationship. Composition, on the other hand, involves building complex types by combining objects, allowing for more flexible and modular designs.

Can you give me an example of each?

Sure! For inheritance, consider a class Animal with a subclass Dog. The Dog class inherits properties like name and methods like bark from Animal. For composition, imagine a class Car that has an Engine object as a property. The Car class can use the Engine's methods without being a subclass of Engine.

Which one is better to use?

It depends on the situation. Inheritance can lead to a rigid structure and tight coupling, while composition offers more flexibility and promotes loose coupling. Generally, composition is preferred for its modularity and ease of maintenance.

Are there any drawbacks to using composition?

Yes, while composition is flexible, it can lead to more complex code if overused. It may also require more boilerplate code to delegate methods to composed objects.