Hierarchical inheritance

Definition

Hierarchical inheritance is a type of inheritance in object-oriented programming where multiple derived classes inherit from a single base class. This allows for shared functionality and attributes to be defined in the base class and reused across multiple subclasses.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Hierarchical inheritance enables code reuse by allowing multiple subclasses to inherit common properties and methods from a single base class.
2. It helps in reducing redundancy by centralizing shared behavior in the base class.
3. In Python, hierarchical inheritance is implemented using class definitions with multiple subclasses extending a single parent class.
4. When an attribute or method is called on an object of a subclass, Python first looks for it within the subclass and then up the hierarchy to the base class if not found.
5. Overriding methods in hierarchical inheritance allows subclasses to provide specific implementations while still inheriting common behavior from the base class.

Review Questions

• What is hierarchical inheritance and how does it differ from other types of inheritance?
• How does Python handle method resolution in hierarchical inheritance?
• Why might you use hierarchical inheritance when designing a program?

Related terms

Base Class:

A class that is inherited by one or more other classes. It defines common attributes and methods that can be used by its derived classes.

Derived Class: A class that inherits properties and behaviors from another class known as the base class.

Method Overriding:

A feature that allows a subclass to provide a specific implementation of a method that is already defined in its superclass.