Inheritance types in C++

Inheritance types in C++

Inheritance types in C++ are as follows

1. 1. Single Inheritance

   2. Multilevel Inheritance

   3. Multiple Inheritance

   4. Hierarchical Inheritance

1. Single Inheritance

In single-level inheritance, there is only one base class and has only one derived class. It is the simplest form of inheritance

Syntax of single inheritance

class subclass_name : access_mode base_class
{
  //body 
};

Program of single inheritance

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
 
// base class
class Bike {
  public:
    Bike()
    {
      cout << "This is a Bike" << endl;
    }
};
 
// sub class derived from a single base classes
class Car: public Bike{
 
};
 
// main function
int main()
{  
    
    Car obj;
    return 0;
}

Output

This is a Bike

2. Multilevel Inheritance in C++

In multilevel inheritance, there will be a chain of inheritance with a class derived from only one parent and will have only one child class.

In multilevel inheritance, the derived class inherits from a class, which in turn inherits from some other class. The super class for one is sub-class for the other. It is also called the level of inheritance

Program of multilevel inheritance

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
 
class Bike
{
  public:
    Bike()
    {
      cout << "This is Bike" << endl;
    }
};
 class twoWheeler: public Bike
{  public:
    twoWheeler()
    {
      cout<<"Objects with 2 wheels are Bike"<<endl;
    }
};
class Bike: public twoWheeler{
   public:
     Car()
     {
       cout<<"Bike has 2 Wheels"<<endl;
     }
};
 
// main function
int main()
{  
    
    Bike obj;
    return 0;
}

Output

This is a Bike
Objects with 2 wheels are Bike
Bike has 2 Wheels

3. Multiple Inheritance

In multiple inheritance, a one derived class inherit from two or more than two-parent classes

Program of multiple inheritance

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
 
// first base class
class Bike {
  public:
    Bike()
    {
      cout << "This is a Bike" << endl;
    }
};
 
// second base class
class twoWheeler {
  public:
    twoWheeler()
    {
      cout << "This is a 2 wheeler Bike" << endl;
    }
};
 
class Car: public Bike, public twoWheeler {
 
};
 
// main function
int main()
{  
   
    Car obj;
    return 0;
}

Output

This is a Bike
This is a 2 wheeler Bike

4. Hierarchical Inheritance

In this type of inheritance, multiple derived classes inherit from a single parent class

Program of hierarchical inheritance

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
 
class Bike
{
  public:
    Bike()
    {
      cout << "This is a Bike" << endl;
    }
};
 
 
class Car: public Bike
{
 
};
 
// second sub class
class Bus: public Bike
{
     
};
 
// main function
int main()
{  
    
    Car obj1;
    Bus obj2;
    return 0;
}

Output

This is a Bike
This is a Bike

Read more, Function Overriding in C++