How Can We Override a Method in Inheritance?

In object-oriented programming, overriding methods allows a subclass to provide a specific implementation for a method inherited from its superclass. This enables you to customize behavior while maintaining a common interface.

Overriding Methods: A Step-by-Step Guide

1. Inheritance: Establish a clear inheritance relationship between the superclass (parent) and the subclass (child).
2. Method Declaration: In the subclass, declare a method with the same name, return type, and parameters as the method you want to override in the superclass.
3. Implementation: Define the specific logic and behavior for the overridden method within the subclass.

Illustration with Code:

class Animal:
    def speak(self):
        print("Generic animal sound")

class Dog(Animal):
    def speak(self):
        print("Woof!")

animal = Animal()
dog = Dog()

animal.speak()  # Output: Generic animal sound
dog.speak()    # Output: Woof!

In this example, Dog inherits from Animal. The speak method is overridden in Dog, providing a specific sound for a dog. When calling speak on an Animal object, the generic sound is produced, while calling it on a Dog object produces "Woof!".

Benefits of Method Overriding:

• Polymorphism: Overriding enables polymorphism, allowing objects of different classes to be treated similarly through a common interface.
• Customization: Subclasses can tailor the behavior of inherited methods to their specific needs.
• Code Reusability: The superclass's methods can be reused as a foundation, while subclasses provide specialized implementations.