Details
In object-oriented programming (OOP), inheritance describes a relationship between two types, or classes, of objects in which one is said to be a subtype or child of the other. The child inherits features of the parent, allowing for shared functionality. For example, one might create a variable class Mammal with features such as eating, reproducing, etc.; then define a subtype Cat that inherits those features without having to explicitly program them, while adding new features like chasing mice.
Multiple inheritance allows programmers to use more than one totally orthogonal hierarchy simultaneously, such as allowing Cat to inherit from Cartoon character and Pet and Mammal and access features from within all of those classes. Lack of multiple inheritance often results in a very awkwardly mixed hierarchy, or forces functionality to be rewritten in more than one place, with attendant maintenance problems.
Read more about this topic: Multiple Inheritance
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