What is the difference between inheritance and composition in programming?

What is the difference between inheritance and composition in programming?

Inheritance is a way to create a new class based on an existing class, inheriting its properties and methods. Composition, on the other hand, involves building a class using instances of other classes, allowing for more flexible and reusable code.

Can you give me an example of each?

Sure! For inheritance, consider a class Animal and a subclass Dog that inherits from Animal. For composition, you might have a class Car that uses an instance of a Engine class to function.

Which one is better to use?

It depends on the situation. Inheritance is useful for establishing a clear hierarchy, while composition is often preferred for its flexibility and to avoid issues like the diamond problem.

What are some common pitfalls of using inheritance?

Common pitfalls include tight coupling, difficulty in changing the base class, and the potential for complex hierarchies that are hard to manage.