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In Python, inheritance is a key component of object-oriented programming (OOP). It is the mechanism by which a class can obtain the attributes and methods (properties) of another class. In essence, inheritance is the process of adding new properties to an existing class to create a new one.
By minimizing code duplication, inheritance facilitates code organization and increases code reusability.
As changes made to the base class automatically propagate to the derived class, it makes the code easier to maintain and modify.
Complex classes can be built on top of simpler classes thanks to inheritance.
It permits polymorphism, the capacity for objects to assume various forms.
Looking to Learn Python? Explore Wiingy’s Online Python Tutoring. Learn from Top Coders and Software Developers.
In Python, inheritance is described as the process of adding new properties to an existing class (the base class) to create a new class (the derived class). The base class’s attributes and methods can be accessed by the derived class as though they were defined there.
For instance, if we have a base class called “Animal” that has methods like eat() and sleep() as well as attributes like name, age, and weight, we can create a derived class called “Dog” that inherits these attributes and methods. In addition to the attributes and methods that were inherited from the base class, the derived class may also have some of its own.
The various inheritance types that Python supports are described below:
Single inheritance is the most basic type of inheritance, where a derived class inherits properties from a single base class. Here is an example of single inheritance:
class Animal:
def __init__(self, name, age):
self.name = name
self.age = age
def eat(self):
print("The animal is eating...")
class Dog(Animal):
def bark(self):
print("Woof woof!")
d = Dog("Rover", 3)
print(d.name) # Output: Rover
d.eat() # Output: The animal is eating...
d.bark() # Output: Woof woof!
In this example, the class “Dog” is derived from the base class “Animal”. The derived class “Dog” inherits the attributes “name” and “age”, and the method “eat()” from the base class “Animal”. The derived class “Dog” also has its own method “bark()”.
Multiple inheritance is a type of inheritance where a derived class inherits properties from two or more base classes. Here is an example of multiple inheritance:
class Bird:
def fly(self):
print("The bird is flying...")
class Mammal:
def run(self):
print("The mammal is running...")
class Bat(Bird, Mammal):
pass
b = Bat()
b.fly() # Output: The bird is flying...
b.run() # Output: The mammal is running…
In this example, the class “Bat” is derived from two base classes “Bird” and “Mammal”. The derived class “Bat” inherits the method “fly()” from the base class “Bird” and the method “run()” from the base class “Mammal”.
Multi-level inheritance is a type of inheritance where a derived class is created from another derived class. Here is an example of multi-level inheritance:
class Animal:
def eat(self):
print("The animal is eating...")
class Dog(Animal):
To implement inheritance in Python, we use the following syntax:
class BaseClass:
# Attributes and methods of the base class
class DerivedClass(BaseClass):
# Attributes and methods of the derived class
In this syntax, the derived class is created by inheriting from the base class using the syntax “class DerivedClass(BaseClass):”. The derived class can then access the attributes and methods of the base class as if they were defined within the derived class.
Here is an example of how to implement inheritance in Python:
class Animal:
def __init__(self, name, age):
self.name = name
self.age = age
def eat(self):
print("The animal is eating...")
class Dog(Animal):
def bark(self):
print("Woof woof!")
d = Dog("Rover", 3)
print(d.name) # Output: Rover
d.eat() # Output: The animal is eating...
d.bark() # Output: Woof woof!
In this example, the class “Dog” is derived from the base class “Animal”. The derived class “Dog” inherits the attributes “name” and “age”, and the method “eat()” from the base class “Animal”. The derived class “Dog” also has its own method “bark()”.
We can call a method from the base class using the built-in Python function super(). It is often used in method overriding to call the overridden method of the base class.
The syntax for using the super() function is as follows
super().method()
In this syntax, “super()” refers to the parent class, and “method()” refers to the method we want to call from the parent class.
Here is an example of using the super() function in Python:
class Animal:
def eat(self):
print("The animal is eating...")
class Dog(Animal):
def eat(self):
super().eat()
print("The dog is also eating...")
d = Dog()
d.eat() # Output: The animal is eating... \n The dog is also eating…
In this example, the class “Dog” overrides the method “eat()” of the base class “Animal”. The overridden method in the derived class calls the overridden method of the base class using the super() function.
Redefining a method that was initially defined in the base class in the derived class is a process known as method overriding. The overridden method in the derived class is executed in place of the original method in the base class when the method is called on an object of the derived class.
Here is an example of method overriding in Python:
class Animal:
def make_sound(self):
print("The animal makes a sound...")
class Dog(Animal):
def make_sound(self):
print("The dog barks...")
a = Animal()
a.make_sound() # Output: The animal makes a sound...
d = Dog()
d.make_sound() # Output: The dog barks…
In this example, the class “Dog” overrides the method “make_sound()” of the base class “Animal”. When the method is called on an object of the derived class “Dog”, the overridden method in the derived class is executed instead of the original method in the base class.
Polymorphism is a crucial component of Python’s object-oriented programming. Objects can alter their appearance or behavior depending on the circumstance in which they are used. Python uses method overloading and overriding to implement polymorphism.
Method overriding is the process of a derived class providing its own implementation for a method that is already defined in the base class. But when a class has multiple methods with the same name but different parameter values, this is known as method overloading.
Here is an example of polymorphism in Python:
class Animal:
def make_sound(self):
print("The animal makes a sound...")
class Dog(Animal):
def make_sound(self):
print("The dog barks...")
class Cat(Animal):
def make_sound(self):
print("The cat meows...")
def animal_sounds(animal):
animal.make_sound()
a = Animal()
d = Dog()
c = Cat()
animal_sounds(a) # Output: The animal makes a sound...
animal_sounds(d) # Output: The dog barks...
animal_sounds(c) # Output: The cat meows…
In this example, the function “animal_sounds()” takes an object of the base class “Animal” as an argument. When the function is called with objects of the derived classes “Dog” and “Cat”, the overridden method in the derived class is executed instead of the original method in the base class.
There are several advantages to using inheritance in Python programming, including:
It’s crucial to adhere to these best practices in order to use inheritance in Python effectively:
Python object-oriented programming is dependent on inheritance. It makes code easier to maintain and modify by enabling developers to create new classes by inheriting or acquiring the properties of existing classes. We talked about what inheritance is, how it works in Python, the different kinds of inheritance, how to implement inheritance using syntax, how to override methods, and more.
In Python programming, inheritance is a fundamental idea that newcomers must grasp in order to use it effectively. By building complex classes on top of simpler classes using inheritance, programmers can eliminate duplication of code and enhance code organization.
Looking to Learn Python? Explore Wiingy’s Online Python Tutoring. Learn from Top Coders and Software Developers.
In Python, inheritance is a mechanism that allows one class to inherit or acquire the properties of another. It allows for the creation of new classes by reusing existing code.
Single inheritance, multiple inheritance, multi-level inheritance, hierarchical inheritance, and hybrid inheritance are the five types of inheritance in Python.
When an object is created in Python, the init method is called. It is employed to set the object’s attributes to zero.
Adding properties from an existing class to a new class is known as inheritance in Python. Multiple inheritance refers to a derived class that has properties from two or more base classes.