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Inheritance, Inheritance is a powerful tool but must be wielded carefully…
Inheritance
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Derived Classes
Redefinition Rules
If a method name exists in the base class, redefining it in the derived class is possible.
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Overridden methods should maintain compatibility with base class functionality to ensure reliability.
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Virtual Functions
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Facilitates the implementation of complex, adaptable systems without altering base class definitions
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Inheritance allows developers to create new classes by building upon existing ones, enabling software to grow more organically while reducing redundancy.
Inheritance is a powerful tool but must be wielded carefully to maintain code quality and readability while minimizing unintended consequences.
Benefits of Inheritance
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Supports DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) principles by consolidating common functionality into base classes.
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Enables modular programming, allowing independent updates to base and derived classes.
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However, it only accesses members defined in the base class unless virtual functions are used.
Example Usage
An array of a base class containing objects of its derived classes allows storing different object types in the same collection. When the array is accessed, the correct method is called thanks to virtual functions, enabling polymorphism.
Derived class constructor must call the base class constructor explicitly if it requires parameters.
Example
If you have a Person class and a derived class Student, when creating a Student object, the Person constructor runs first, initializing common attributes.
This structure forms the backbone of many object-oriented designs, supporting modular, scalable, and maintainable code development.
This setup ensures that each object behaves according to its specific class type, even when accessed through a base class reference.
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Then, the Student constructor adds specific initialization like schoolName. During destruction, the process happens in reverse, ensuring a clean resource release.