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Python Inheritance (OOP)

In Python, inheritance allows a class (child class) to inherit attributes and methods from another class (parent class). This promotes code reuse, modularity, and extensibility in object-oriented programming.

Basic Inheritance Example

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

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

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

# Create objects
animal = Animal("GenericAnimal")
animal.speak()  # Output: GenericAnimal makes a sound

dog = Dog("Buddy")
dog.speak()     # Output: Buddy barks
  

Explanation:

• class Dog(Animal): defines Dog as a subclass of Animal.
• The child class inherits all attributes and methods from the parent class.
• Method overriding allows the child class to provide its own implementation of a parent method.

Using super() to Call Parent Methods

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

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

class Cat(Animal):
    def __init__(self, name, color):
        super().__init__(name)  # Call parent constructor
        self.color = color

    def speak(self):
        super().speak()  # Call parent method
        print(f"{self.name} meows")

# Create object
cat = Cat("Whiskers", "Gray")
cat.speak()
# Output:
# Whiskers makes a sound
# Whiskers meows
  

Key Points

• Inheritance: Child class inherits attributes and methods from parent class.
• Method overriding: Child class can provide a new implementation of a parent method.
• super(): Used to call parent class methods or constructors from the child class.
• Promotes code reuse, modularity, and maintainable OOP design.

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Inheritance in Python allows you to create a hierarchy of classes, reuse code efficiently, and extend functionality in a clean and organized way.