What are some examples of polymorphism in programming?

What are some examples of polymorphism in programming?

Polymorphism allows methods to do different things based on the object it is acting upon. For example, in OOP, a function can take objects of different classes as input.

Can you give me a specific example in Python?

Sure! In Python, you can have a base class called Animal with a method speak(). Then, subclasses like Dog and Cat can implement speak() differently. When you call speak() on an Animal reference, it will execute the method of the actual object type.

What about polymorphism in Java?

In Java, polymorphism can be achieved through method overriding. For instance, if you have a superclass Shape with a method draw(), subclasses like Circle and Square can provide their own implementations of draw(). You can call draw() on a Shape reference, and it will invoke the appropriate method based on the actual object type.

Are there any other types of polymorphism?

Yes, there are two main types: compile-time (or static) polymorphism, which is achieved through method overloading, and runtime (or dynamic) polymorphism, which is achieved through method overriding.