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Multiple Inheritance and

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Interfaces
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Describe Multiple Inheritance

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 List the problems associated with Multiple Inheritance

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Describe Interface

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 Explain Multiple Inheritance using Interfaces
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Explain constructor execution in Multiple Inheritance
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Emphasizes the correct way of expressing the

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relationships between classes

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Explains creation of a class by combination of other
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Describes the use of interfaces to achieve multiple

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inheritance in programming languages

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 It is a technique in which one class inherits its

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properties from more than one classes.

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 The figure shows an example of multiple inheritance.

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 The figure shows the class diagram of the inheritance

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hierarchy created by the three classes namely

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Herbivore, Carnivore, and Omnivore.

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 The Diamond Problem - a class inherits from two

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parent classes each of which in turn inherit from a

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common super class.

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 The figure depicts the diamond problem.

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 Ambiguity of Name - a base classes have a method

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with the same name and signature.

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 The figure depicts the name ambiguity problem.

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 An interface only declares the signature of the

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methods it wishes to expose.

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Syntax

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<visibility-modifier> interface

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<interface-name>
{
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// abstract method declarations
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}
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 The following table shows features that differentiate a

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class and an interface.

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Class Interface

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A class can be instantiated An interface cannot be instantiated

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A class can have concreted methods, An interface cannot have concrete
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A child class may not override all A class implementing an Interface must
methods of a parent class
Multiple classes cannot be inherited by a
C implement all methods of an interface
Multiple interfaces can be implemented by
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child class to simulate multiple a class to simulate multiple inheritance

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An ‘is-a’ relationship is required to An ‘is-a’ relationship is not mandatory for

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implement inheritance between classes implementing an interface

Methods of an interface are implicitly Methods of a class can have any access
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public modifier

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Some advantages of interface are as follows:

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 Allows simulating multiple inheritance of classes

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Helps to avoid ambiguity between the methods of the

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different classes as seen in C++

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Allows combining features of two or more interfaces
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combined result
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 Helps to hide an inherited member name from any

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code outside the derived class

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Parent Class

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No-argument constructor: Invoked in the sequence in

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which the child class has inherited the parent classes
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Parameterized constructor: User can handle by invoking

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child class and pass arguments to the constructor

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 Multiple Inheritance is a technique in which one class inherits its

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properties from more than one classes.

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Diamond Problem is a situation that arises when a class inherits

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from two parent classes each of which in turn inherit from a

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common super class.

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An interface is a type similar to a class that consists of only
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method declarations without any implementation.

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 A class can implement more than one interface to simulate

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multiple inheritance.
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 Invocation of constructors in multiple inheritance depends on

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the sequence in which the child class invokes them in its own

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constructor.

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 Ambiguity of name is a condition in multiple inheritance

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wherein the base classes have a method with the same name

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and signature.

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