What are some examples of inheritance in C++?

What are some examples of inheritance in C++?

Inheritance in C++ allows a class to inherit properties and methods from another class. For example, if you have a base class Animal and a derived class Dog, the Dog class can inherit attributes like age and methods like bark from Animal.

Can you show me a code example of that?

Sure! Here's a simple example:

class Animal {
public:
    int age;
    void speak() {
        std::cout << "Animal speaks" << std::endl;
    }
};

class Dog : public Animal {
public:
    void bark() {
        std::cout << "Woof!" << std::endl;
    }
};

In this example, Dog inherits from Animal.

What if I want to use multiple inheritance?

In C++, you can use multiple inheritance by specifying multiple base classes. For example:

class Pet {
public:
    void play() {
        std::cout << "Playing with pet" << std::endl;
    }
};

class Dog : public Animal, public Pet {
public:
    void bark() {
        std::cout << "Woof!" << std::endl;
    }
};

Here, Dog inherits from both Animal and Pet.

Are there any issues with multiple inheritance?

Yes, multiple inheritance can lead to complexities like the "diamond problem," where ambiguity arises if two base classes have a method with the same name. It's important to manage this carefully using virtual inheritance if needed.