What are access specifiers in C++ inheritance?

What are access specifiers in C++ inheritance?

Access specifiers in C++ inheritance determine how the members of a base class can be accessed in a derived class. The three main specifiers are public, protected, and private.

Can you explain the difference between public and private inheritance?

Sure! In public inheritance, public and protected members of the base class remain accessible in the derived class. In private inheritance, however, all members of the base class become private in the derived class.

What happens to the access specifiers when a class is inherited?

When a class is inherited, the access specifiers of the base class members are affected by the type of inheritance. For example, public members remain public in public inheritance, but they become private in private inheritance.

Are there any best practices for using access specifiers?

Yes, it's generally recommended to use public inheritance for interfaces and protected for base classes that are meant to be extended. Private inheritance is less common and should be used when you want to hide the base class implementation.