What is Inheritance in python?

 

What is Inheritance in Python? A Detailed Explanation with Examples

How Inheritance Works in Python

Inheritance allows a class to extend or modify the behavior of another class. The child class inherits methods and properties from the parent class, but can also define its own methods and properties or override the parent class’s methods.

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Basic Syntax of Inheritance

class ParentClass:
    # Parent class attributes and methods
    pass

class ChildClass(ParentClass):
    # Child class inherits from ParentClass
    pass

• ChildClass(ParentClass) indicates that ChildClass inherits from ParentClass.
• The child class can access methods and attributes from the parent class, and it can also define its own methods and attributes.

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Types of Inheritance in Python

Python supports different types of inheritance:

1. Single Inheritance: A child class inherits from a single parent class.
2. Multiple Inheritance: A child class inherits from more than one parent class.
3. Multilevel Inheritance: A child class inherits from a parent class, which in turn inherits from another class.
4. Hierarchical Inheritance: Multiple child classes inherit from the same parent class.
5. Hybrid Inheritance: A combination of multiple types of inheritance.

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Example 1: Single Inheritance

In single inheritance, a child class inherits from a single parent class. Let's see how it works:

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

    def speak(self):
        print(f"{self.name} makes a sound")

class Dog(Animal):  # Dog class inherits from Animal class
    def speak(self):
        print(f"{self.name} barks")

# Creating objects of the classes
dog1 = Dog("PythonBeeTelugu")
dog1.speak()  # Output: PythonBeeTelugu barks

Here:

• The Dog class inherits from the Animal class.
• The Dog class overrides the speak() method to provide a custom implementation for dogs.
• The object dog1 is an instance of the Dog class, which inherits the name attribute from Animal.

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Example 2: Multiple Inheritance

In multiple inheritance, a child class can inherit from more than one parent class. This is useful when a class needs to combine functionality from multiple sources.

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

    def speak(self):
        print(f"{self.name} makes a sound")

class Bird:
    def fly(self):
        print(f"{self.name} can fly")

class Parrot(Animal, Bird):  # Parrot class inherits from both Animal and Bird
    def speak(self):
        print(f"{self.name} squawks")

# Creating an object of the Parrot class
parrot1 = Parrot("PythonBeeTelugu")
parrot1.speak()  # Output: PythonBeeTelugu squawks
parrot1.fly()    # Output: PythonBeeTelugu can fly

Here:

• The Parrot class inherits from both Animal and Bird.
• It overrides the speak() method from Animal and also uses the fly() method from Bird.

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Example 3: Multilevel Inheritance

In multilevel inheritance, a class inherits from another class, which itself inherits from a parent class. This creates a chain of inheritance.

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

    def speak(self):
        print(f"{self.name} makes a sound")

class Dog(Animal):
    def speak(self):
        print(f"{self.name} barks")

class Puppy(Dog):  # Puppy inherits from Dog, which inherits from Animal
    def play(self):
        print(f"{self.name} plays with a ball")

# Creating an object of the Puppy class
puppy1 = Puppy("PythonBeeTelugu")
puppy1.speak()  # Output: PythonBeeTelugu barks
puppy1.play()   # Output: PythonBeeTelugu plays with a ball

Conclusion

Inheritance is a powerful feature in Python that allows you to reuse and extend functionality. It helps organize your code in a hierarchical structure, reducing redundancy and improving maintainability. Python supports various types of inheritance, including single, multiple, multilevel, and hierarchical inheritance, making it versatile for different coding scenarios.

By using inheritance, you can create classes that are easier to manage and scale. Whether you are creating simple classes or more complex structures, understanding inheritance is essential to writing efficient and organized code.

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