Module 27: Inheritance in Java

📘 What is Inheritance?

Inheritance is one of the fundamental concepts of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP). It allows a class (subclass or child class) to inherit properties and behaviors (fields and methods) from another class (superclass or parent class).

🔗 Types of Inheritance in Java

• Single Inheritance
• Multilevel Inheritance
• Hierarchical Inheritance

Note: Java does not support multiple inheritance with classes to avoid ambiguity. Interfaces are used instead.

🧪 Example: Single Inheritance

                    class Animal {
                      void eat() {
                        System.out.println("This animal eats food");
                      }
                    }
                    
                    class Dog extends Animal {
                      void bark() {
                        System.out.println("The dog barks");
                      }
                    }
                    
                    public class Main {
                      public static void main(String[] args) {
                        Dog d = new Dog();
                        d.eat();  // Inherited method
                        d.bark(); // Own method
                      }
                    }

📌 Why Use Inheritance?

• Promotes code reusability
• Supports hierarchical classification
• Improves maintainability and readability