What is the Difference Between Polymorphism and Inheritance?

The main difference between polymorphism and inheritance lies in their purpose and application in object-oriented programming. Here are the key differences:

1. Inheritance:

• Inheritance is a concept where a new class (derived class) is created that inherits properties and methods from an existing class (base class).
• It supports the concept of code reusability and reduces the length of the code in object-oriented programming.
• Inheritance can be single, hybrid, multiple, hierarchical, and multilevel inheritance.
• It is applied to classes.

1. Polymorphism:

• Polymorphism allows objects of different classes to be treated as objects of a common superclass, enabling a single function or method to represent multiple forms or behaviors.
• It enables objects of different classes to be treated as objects of a common superclass, allowing for flexibility and dynamic method dispatch at runtime.
• Polymorphism can be defined in multiple forms, such as method overloading (compile-time polymorphism) and method overriding (run-time polymorphism).
• It is applied to functions or methods.

In summary, inheritance is a concept that promotes code reusability and hierarchical relationships between classes, while polymorphism allows for dynamic method dispatch and flexibility in handling different object types. Both concepts are essential in object-oriented programming, but they serve different purposes and operate at different levels.

Comparative Table: Polymorphism vs Inheritance

Here is a table highlighting the differences between polymorphism and inheritance:

In summary, inheritance is a concept that allows a class to inherit properties and methods from another class, while polymorphism enables a single function or method to have different implementations or overloads.