Java Programming

8 Inheritance in Java

8.1 INTRODUCTION

The term inheritance implies that one class can inherit a part or all of its structure and behaviour from another class. Inheritance provides the idea of reusability, i.e., a code once written can be used again and again in a number of new classes. The class that does the inheriting is called a subclass of the class from which it inherits. If class B is a subclass of class A , it can also be said that class A is a super class of class B . (Sometimes the terms derived class and base class are used instead of subclass and super class) (Figure 8.1). A subclass can add to the structure and behaviour that it inherits. It can also replace or modfy inherited behaviour (though not inherited structure). The relationship ...