Python inheritance

In Python, inheritance is a mechanism that allows a new class to inherit properties and methods from an existing class, also known as the base class or parent class. The new class, also known as the derived class or child class, can inherit all or some of the properties and methods of the base class and can also add new properties and methods of its own.

The derived class can override the methods of the base class to provide a different implementation. It can also add new methods that are not present in the base class.

For example, consider the following base class Animal:

1class Animals:
2    def __init__(self, name):
3        self.name = name
4    
5    def speak(self):
6        print(self.name + " makes a noise")

We can create a derived class Dog which inherits from the base class Animals:

1class Dog(Animals):
2    def speak(self):
3        print(self.name + " barks")

Here, the class Dog inherits the attribute name and the method speak from the class Animals. The Dog class overrides the speak method to provide a different implementation.

We can create an object of the derived class Dog in the same way as we create an object of the base class:

1dog = Dog("Fido")
2dog.speak() # Output: Fido barks

Inheritance allows for code reuse and makes it easier to create and maintain complex systems. It's a fundamental concept in object-oriented programming that allows you to create a hierarchy of classes, where derived classes inherit properties and methods from their base classes.

In addition, Python also supports multiple inheritance, where a class can inherit from multiple base classes. This allows a class to inherit properties and methods from more than one parent class.

Python Inheritance is a mechanism that allows a new class to inherit properties and methods from an existing class, also known as the base class or parent class. The new class, also known as the derived class or child class, can inherit all or some of the properties and methods of the base class and can also add new properties and methods of its own. Understanding inheritance is an essential part of becoming proficient in object-oriented programming in Python.