Python · Theory

Inheritance in Python

Theory

57/268

Inheritance in Python

Inheritance lets a child class reuse a parent. class Dog(Animal): Dog is-a Animal. Child gets parent methods and can override them. super() calls the parent version when the child still needs it. Python allows multiple inheritance — use carefully, MRO questions are later.

Tiny override: Animal.speak → "...". Dog.speak → "woof". print(Dog().speak()) is woof. That IS-A + override + super() trio is the fresher answer. Don’t start with diamond diagrams.

Inheritance in Python — output — Eating then Bark. Dog did not rewrite eat — it inherited it.

Diagram

Animal
       eat()
         │ class Dog(Animal)
         ▼
        Dog
       eat() + bark()

Exam tip

Tiny parent/child method override.

Example

# Inheritance
class Animal:
    def eat(self):
        print("Eating")

class Dog(Animal):
    def bark(self):
        print("Bark")

d = Dog()
d.eat()
d.bark()

Inheritance in Python — output: Eating then Bark. Dog did not rewrite eat — it inherited it.

Short notes

DefChild(Parent). IS-A.
RuleOverride + super().
RememberMultiple inheritance exists.

Python · Theory

Inheritance in Python

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Theory

57/268

Inheritance in Python

Tiny override: Animal.speak → "...". Dog.speak → "woof". print(Dog().speak()) is woof. That IS-A + override + super() trio is the fresher answer. Don’t start with diamond diagrams.

Inheritance in Python — output — Eating then Bark. Dog did not rewrite eat — it inherited it.

Diagram

Animal
       eat()
         │ class Dog(Animal)
         ▼
        Dog
       eat() + bark()

Exam tip

Tiny parent/child method override.

Example

# Inheritance
class Animal:
    def eat(self):
        print("Eating")

class Dog(Animal):
    def bark(self):
        print("Bark")

d = Dog()
d.eat()
d.bark()

Inheritance in Python — output: Eating then Bark. Dog did not rewrite eat — it inherited it.

Short notes

DefChild(Parent). IS-A.
RuleOverride + super().
RememberMultiple inheritance exists.

Inheritance in Python

Example

Short notes

Questions

Inheritance in Python

Example

Short notes

Questions