Technology Fundamentals
Inheritance
Definition
Inheritance is a mechanism in object-oriented programming where a new class (subclass or child class) derives properties and behaviors (methods) from an existing class (superclass or parent class).
Why It Matters
Inheritance promotes code reuse and establishes a logical hierarchy. You can create a general class and then create more specific classes that inherit its functionality and add their own.
Contextual Example
You could have a general `Animal` class with a `sleep()` method. Then, a `Dog` class could inherit from `Animal` (so it also gets the `sleep()` method) and add its own specific `bark()` method.
Common Misunderstandings
- Inheritance creates an "is-a" relationship (a Dog "is-an" Animal).
- Overuse of inheritance can lead to complex and rigid code. Sometimes, composition (using objects within other objects) is a better approach.