What is inheritance in Python object-oriented programming?

Inheritance in Python object-oriented programming

Inheritance is a fundamental concept in object-oriented programming (OOP) that allows a class (called a subclass or derived class) to inherit properties and behaviors from another class (called a superclass or base class). In Python, a subclass can inherit attributes and methods from its superclass, allowing code reuse and creating a hierarchical relationship between classes.

Subclasses can either add their own methods and attributes or override those in the superclass.

Inheritance is represented by syntax-

class SubclassName(BaseClassName):

Where SubclassName is the name of the subclass and BaseClassName is the name of the superclass. The subclass inherits the superclass's properties using this syntax.

Python: Key points about inheritance

• Code Reusability: Inheritance promotes code reusability by allowing subclasses to inherit attributes and methods from a common superclass. This reduces code duplication and makes the codebase more maintainable.
• Subclass and Superclass Relationship: Inheritance creates relationships between classes, where a subclass "is" specialized version of the superclass. For example, a "Tiger" class can be a subclass of a "Animal" class.
• Method Overriding: Subclasses can override superclass methods. When a method is called on an instance of the subclass, Python first looks for the method in the subclass. If not found, it looks for a method in the superclass.
• Single Inheritance: Python supports single inheritance, which means that a subclass can inherit only from one superclass. However, a superclass can have multiple subclasses.
• Multiple Levels of Inheritance: Subclasses can also act as superclasses for other subclasses, creating multiple levels of inheritance.

Example of inheritance in Python:

class Animal:
    def __init__(self, name):
        self.name = name

    def speak(self):
        return "Unknown sound"

class Lion(Animal):  # Lion class inherits from Animal class
    def speak(self):
        return "Roar!"

class Tiger(Animal):  # Tiger class inherits from Animal class
    def speak(self):
        return "Growl!"

# Create instances of subclasses
lion_instance = Lion("King")
tiger_instance = Tiger("Tony")

# Call the speak method of the subclasses
print(lion_instance.speak())  # Output: Roar!
print(tiger_instance.speak())  # Output: Growl!

In the example above, we have a superclass "Animal" with an attribute 'name' and a method "speak()". The subclasses 'Lion' and 'Tiger' inherit from the "Animal" class and override the 'speak()' method to provide their specific sound.