Inheritance

overview

Summary

derived_class acquires fields and methods from a base_class. This models an is_a_relationship and promotes code_reuse. Many languages support single_inheritance; some allow multiple_inheritance or mixins. A child can use method_overriding to replace inherited behavior. Access to members follows access_modifiers like public, protected, and private. Inheritance enables polymorphism, so a base reference can point to child objects. Common keywords include extends or inherits, depending on the language.