Why use polymorphism in programming?

What is polymorphism in programming?

Polymorphism is a programming concept that allows objects to be treated as instances of their parent class, enabling methods to be used interchangeably.

Why is polymorphism important?

Polymorphism enhances code flexibility and reusability, allowing for easier maintenance and the ability to extend functionality without modifying existing code.

Can you give an example of polymorphism?

Sure! In a class hierarchy with a base class 'Animal' and derived classes 'Dog' and 'Cat', both can implement a method 'makeSound()'. Calling 'makeSound()' on an 'Animal' reference can invoke the appropriate method for either 'Dog' or 'Cat'.

How does polymorphism relate to interfaces?

Polymorphism is often achieved through interfaces, allowing different classes to implement the same interface methods, thus enabling interchangeable use of those classes.