|
| 1 | +--- |
| 2 | +Title: 'Single Inheritance' |
| 3 | +Description: 'Explains single inheritance in Python, where one subclass inherits from a single parent class.' |
| 4 | +Subjects: |
| 5 | + - 'Python' |
| 6 | + - 'Object-Oriented Programming' |
| 7 | +Tags: |
| 8 | + - 'Classes' |
| 9 | + - 'Inheritance' |
| 10 | + - 'OOP' |
| 11 | +CatalogContent: |
| 12 | + - 'learn-python-3' |
| 13 | + - 'paths/computer-science' |
| 14 | +--- |
| 15 | + |
| 16 | +**Single inheritance** is a core concept in object-oriented programming (OOP), where a class (called the child or subclass) inherits attributes and methods from one parent (or superclass). It enables code reuse, logical hierarchy, and cleaner structure in simple inheritance relationships. |
| 17 | + |
| 18 | +In Python, single inheritance is achieved by defining the subclass with the name of the superclass in parentheses. This allows the subclass to extend or override the functionality of the parent class. |
| 19 | + |
| 20 | +## Syntax |
| 21 | + |
| 22 | +```python |
| 23 | +class ParentClass: |
| 24 | + # Parent class attributes and methods |
| 25 | + |
| 26 | +class ChildClass(ParentClass): |
| 27 | + # Child class inherits from ParentClass |
| 28 | + # Can override or extend functionality |
| 29 | +```` |
| 30 | + |
| 31 | +* `ParentClass`: The base class whose methods and attributes are inherited. |
| 32 | +* `ChildClass`: The derived class that inherits from `ParentClass`. |
| 33 | +* The subclass can override methods from the parent or introduce its own new behavior. |
| 34 | + |
| 35 | +## Example |
| 36 | + |
| 37 | +```python |
| 38 | +class Animal: |
| 39 | + def speak(self): |
| 40 | + return "Makes a sound" |
| 41 | + |
| 42 | +class Dog(Animal): |
| 43 | + def speak(self): |
| 44 | + return "Barks" |
| 45 | + |
| 46 | +a = Animal() |
| 47 | +d = Dog() |
| 48 | + |
| 49 | +print(a.speak()) # Output: Makes a sound |
| 50 | +print(d.speak()) # Output: Barks |
| 51 | +``` |
| 52 | + |
| 53 | +### Explanation: |
| 54 | + |
| 55 | +* `Dog` inherits from `Animal`. |
| 56 | +* Both classes define a `speak()` method, but `Dog` overrides the inherited method. |
| 57 | +* This shows how subclasses can provide specialized behavior while still inheriting from the parent. |
| 58 | + |
| 59 | +## Codebyte Example |
| 60 | + |
| 61 | +```codebyte/python |
| 62 | +class Vehicle: |
| 63 | + def start_engine(self): |
| 64 | + return "Engine started" |
| 65 | +
|
| 66 | +class Car(Vehicle): |
| 67 | + def drive(self): |
| 68 | + return "Car is driving" |
| 69 | +
|
| 70 | +my_car = Car() |
| 71 | +
|
| 72 | +print(my_car.start_engine()) # Inherited method |
| 73 | +print(my_car.drive()) # Subclass method |
| 74 | +``` |
| 75 | + |
| 76 | +## Diagram |
| 77 | + |
| 78 | +Here's a simple representation of single inheritance: |
| 79 | + |
| 80 | +``` |
| 81 | ++-------------+ |
| 82 | +| Vehicle | |
| 83 | +|-------------| |
| 84 | +| start_engine| |
| 85 | ++------+------+ |
| 86 | + | |
| 87 | + ▼ |
| 88 | ++-------------+ |
| 89 | +| Car | |
| 90 | +|-------------| |
| 91 | +| drive | |
| 92 | ++-------------+ |
| 93 | +``` |
| 94 | + |
| 95 | +By using single inheritance: |
| 96 | + |
| 97 | +* **Code reusability** is enhanced. |
| 98 | +* **Modularity** improves through separation of concerns. |
| 99 | +* **Maintenance** becomes easier since shared behavior is centralized. |
| 100 | + |
| 101 | +> ⚠️ Use single inheritance when a subclass logically "is-a" type of its superclass and no multiple base classes are needed. |
| 102 | +
|
| 103 | +### Related Concepts |
| 104 | + |
| 105 | +* [Multiple Inheritance](../../inheritance.md) |
| 106 | +* [super() Function in Python](../../../built-in-functions/terms/super/super.md) |
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