🐍 Python Inheritance: A Beginner’s Guide

OOP • Python • Inheritance

Inheritance is one of the most powerful concepts in Object-Oriented Programming (OOP). In Python, inheritance allows you to reuse code, build on existing classes, and create more structured and scalable programs. In this blog, we’ll explore what inheritance is, how it works, its characteristics, parent and child classes, syntax, examples, super() function, attributes, exercises, and more.

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✨ What is Inheritance in Python?

Inheritance in Python is a feature of OOP where a class (called Child Class or Subclass) can derive properties and methods from another class (called Parent Class or Base Class). This helps reduce code duplication and makes programs easier to manage.

# Simple Inheritance Example
class Parent:
    def greet(self):
        print("Hello from Parent Class!")

class Child(Parent):
    pass

obj = Child()
obj.greet()

Output:
Hello from Parent Class!

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🔑 Characteristics of Inheritance

• Code Reusability: Reduces duplication by reusing methods and attributes from the parent class.
• Extensibility: New features can be added easily in child classes.
• Maintainability: Organizes code in a structured way.
• Overriding: Child classes can modify or override parent class methods.
• Supports multiple inheritance: A class can inherit from multiple parent classes.

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📌 Uses of Inheritance

• Building frameworks and reusable libraries.
• Extending existing classes without rewriting them.
• Creating hierarchical structures like Employee → Manager → Director.
• Implementing polymorphism for flexible code.

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👨‍👩‍👦 Parent Class (Base Class)

A Parent Class is the class whose properties and methods are inherited by another class.

class Parent:
    def __init__(self, name):
        self.name = name
    
    def display(self):
        print("Name:", self.name)

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👶 Child Class (Subclass)

A Child Class inherits all attributes and methods from the parent class. It can also have additional methods or override existing ones.

class Child(Parent):
    def greet(self):
        print("Hello,", self.name)

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⚙️ Syntax of Inheritance

class ParentClass:
    # parent class code

class ChildClass(ParentClass):
    # child class code

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📝 Example with __init__() Function

We can initialize both parent and child classes using the __init__() method.

class Parent:
    def __init__(self, name):
        self.name = name

class Child(Parent):
    def __init__(self, name, age):
        super().__init__(name)   # Call Parent __init__
        self.age = age

    def display(self):
        print(f"Name: {self.name}, Age: {self.age}")

obj = Child("Alice", 21)
obj.display()

Output:
Name: Alice, Age: 21

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🔧 The super() Function

The super() function in Python allows you to call methods from the parent class inside the child class. This is commonly used with the __init__() method.

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🏷️ Adding Properties and Methods

class Parent:
    def work(self):
        print("Parent is working...")

class Child(Parent):
    def study(self):
        print("Child is studying...")

obj = Child()
obj.work()
obj.study()

Output:
Parent is working...
Child is studying...

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📌 Attributes in Inheritance

• Parent class attributes can be accessed in the child class.
• Child class can define its own attributes.
• Attributes can be overridden in the child class.

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❓ FAQs on Python Inheritance

Q1. Can a child class have its own methods?
Yes, child classes can define new methods.

Q2. Can a class inherit from multiple classes?
Yes, Python supports multiple inheritance.

Q3. Is inheritance mandatory in OOP?
No, but it’s useful for organizing and reusing code.

Q4. Can a child class override methods of the parent class?
Yes, by defining the same method in the child class.

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📝 Exercise

Task: Create a parent class Vehicle with attributes brand and color. Then create a child class Car that adds an attribute model and a method to display all details.

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✅ Conclusion

Inheritance in Python is a powerful concept that helps make programs modular, reusable, and easier to manage. By using parent and child classes, you can extend functionality without rewriting code. Understanding inheritance is essential for mastering Python OOP and building real-world applications.

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