What is inheritance in Java?

Inheritance in Java is one of the core concepts of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP). It allows a new class (subclass or derived class) to inherit properties and methods from an existing class (superclass or base class). This facilitates code reusability, allows for hierarchical classification, and helps in method overriding, promoting better organization of code.

For example, if you have a class Animal that has common properties and methods for all animals, you can create subclasses like Dog and Cat that inherit from the Animal class and also have their own specific behaviors.


        class Animal {
            void eat() {
                System.out.println("This animal eats food.");
            }
        }

        class Dog extends Animal {
            void bark() {
                System.out.println("The dog barks.");
            }
        }

        class Cat extends Animal {
            void meow() {
                System.out.println("The cat meows.");
            }
        }
        
        public class Main {
            public static void main(String[] args) {
                Dog dog = new Dog();
                dog.eat();    // Inherited method
                dog.bark();   // Dog's own method
                
                Cat cat = new Cat();
                cat.eat();    // Inherited method
                cat.meow();   // Cat's own method
            }
        }

What is inheritance in Java?

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What is inheritance in Java?

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