Inheritance in Python with Examples

In this article, We are going to cover Inheritance in Python with Examples.

What is Inheritance in Python ?

It is a process where we inherit forward properties and methods of parent (base) to child class (derived).

It provides reusability of a code. No need to write the same code again and again.

Syntax of Inheritance in Python:

class Parent:
	# statements
class child(Parent):
	# statements

Example of Inheritance in Python:

class Teacher: 
    def __init__(self, name): 
        self.name = name 
    def getName(self): 
        return self.name 
    # To check if this person is a student 
    def isStudent(self): 
        return False
# Inherited  
class Student(Teacher): 
   def isStudent(self): 
        return True
stud = Teacher("Lily")   
print(stud.getName(), stud.isStudent()) 
stud = Student("Lucky") 
print(stud.getName(), stud.isStudent())

Output:

Lily False
Lucky True

Types of Inheritance in Python:

Single inheritance:

In Python Single Inheritance, a derived class is derived only from a single parent class and allows class to derive behaviour and properties from a single base class. Thus enables code reusability.

Syntax of Single Inheritance in Python:

class Parent:
	# statement
class Child:
	# statement

Example of Single Inheritance in python:

class Parent:
     def myfun_p(self):
          print("Calling Parent Class")
class Child(Parent):
     def myfun_c(self):
          print("Calling Child Class")
obj = Child()
obj.myfun_p()
obj.myfun_c()

Output:

Calling Parent Class
Calling Child Class

2. Multiple Inheritance:

In Python, class can be derived from more than one base class it is called multiple inheritance. In multiple inheritance, all the features of the base classes are inherited into the derived class.

Syntax of Multiple Inheritance in Python:

class Parent1:
	# statements
class  Parent2:
	# statements
class multi_child(Parent1, Parent2):
	# statements

Example of multiple inheritance:

class Name:
    name = ""
    def myfun1(self):
        print(self.name)
class Surname:
    surname = ""
    def myfun2(self):
        print(self.surname)
# Multi Child class
class Student(Name, Surname):
    def parents(self):
        print("Name :", self.name)
        print("Surname :", self.surname)
stud = Student()
stud.name = "Lily"
stud.surname = "Jones"
stud.parents()

Output:

Name : Lily
Surname : Jones

3. Multilevel Inheritance:

Multilevel Inheritance is archived when a derived class inherits another derived class. There is no limit on the number of levels.

Syntax of Multilevel Inheritance in Python:

class Parent:
	# statements
class Parent1(Parent):
	# statements
class Child(Parent1):
	# statements

Example of Multilevel Inheritance in Python:

class Principal:  
    def principal(self):  
        print("I'm Principal")  
class Teacher(Principal):  
    def teacher(self):  
        print("I'm Teacher")   
class Student(Teacher):  
    def student(self):  
        print("I'm student")  
d = Student()  
d.principal()  
d.teacher()  
d.student()

Output: