inheritance

Java Inheritance

Inheritance in Java allows a class to inherit properties and behaviors (methods) from another class. The class that inherits is called a subclass, and the class being inherited from is called a superclass.

Basic Inheritance Example

class Animal {
    void sound() {
        System.out.println("Animal makes a sound");
    }
}

class Dog extends Animal {
    void sound() {
        System.out.println("Woof");
    }
}

public class InheritanceExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Dog dog = new Dog();
        dog.sound();  // Calls the overridden method
    }
}

The Dog class inherits from the Animal class. It overrides the sound() method to provide its own implementation.

Constructor in Inheritance

class Animal {
    Animal() {
        System.out.println("Animal created");
    }
}

class Dog extends Animal {
    Dog() {
        super();  // Calling superclass constructor
        System.out.println("Dog created");
    }
}

public class
public class InheritanceExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Dog dog = new Dog();  // Calls the constructor of Animal and Dog
    }
}

In this example, the Dog class calls the constructor of the superclass Animal using the super() keyword before executing its own constructor.

Method Overriding

class Animal {
    void sound() {
        System.out.println("Animal makes a sound");
    }
}

class Dog extends Animal {
    @Override
    void sound() {
        System.out.println("Woof");
    }
}

public class InheritanceExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Animal animal = new Dog();  // Polymorphism
        animal.sound();  // Calls the overridden method in Dog
    }
}

Method overriding allows a subclass to provide a specific implementation of a method that is already defined in its superclass. The @Override annotation indicates that a method is overriding a superclass method.