What are some examples of inheritance in programming?

What are some examples of inheritance in programming?

Inheritance is a fundamental concept in object-oriented programming. For example, in Python, you can create a base class called 'Animal' and then derive subclasses like 'Dog' and 'Cat' that inherit properties and methods from 'Animal'.

Can you give me a code example of that?

Sure! Here's a simple example in Python:

class Animal:
    def speak(self):
        return "Animal speaks"

class Dog(Animal):
    def speak(self):
        return "Woof!"

class Cat(Animal):
    def speak(self):
        return "Meow!"

# Usage
my_dog = Dog()
print(my_dog.speak())  # Output: Woof!

my_cat = Cat()
print(my_cat.speak())  # Output: Meow!

What are the benefits of using inheritance?

Inheritance promotes code reusability, allows for a hierarchical classification of classes, and makes it easier to maintain and extend code.

Are there any drawbacks to using inheritance?

Yes, some drawbacks include increased complexity, potential for tight coupling between classes, and difficulties in understanding the code structure if overused.