Explain Single Inheritance with program.

 

Inheritance in Java

Inheritance in Java is a mechanism in which one object acquires all the properties and behaviors of a parent object. It is an important part of OOPs (Object Oriented programming system).

The idea behind inheritance in Java is that you can create new classes that are built upon existing classes. When you inherit from an existing class, you can reuse methods and fields of the parent class. Moreover, you can add new methods and fields in your current class also.

Inheritance represents the IS-A relationship which is also known as a parent-child relationship.

Types of inheritance in java

On the basis of class, there can be three types of inheritance in java: single, multilevel and hierarchical.

In java programming, multiple and hybrid inheritance is supported through interface only. We will learn about interfaces later.

Single Inheritance Example

When a class inherits another class, it is known as a single inheritance. In the example given below, Dog class inherits the Animal class, so there is the single inheritance.

File: TestInheritance.java

1. class Animal{  
2. void eat(){System.out.println("eating...");}  
3. }  
4. class Dog extends Animal{  
5. void bark(){System.out.println("barking...");}  
6. }  
7. class TestInheritance{  
8. public static void main(String args[]){  
9. Dog d=new Dog();  
10. d.bark();  
11. d.eat();  
12. }}  

Output:

barking...
eating...