When it comes to object-oriented programming (OOP) in Python, one of the most fundamental concepts you need to understand is method overriding. This powerful feature allows you to define a method in a child class that has the same name as a method in its parent class, essentially replacing the parent class’s implementation with your own.
Method overriding is a key aspect of inheritance and polymorphism, two pillars of OOP. By overriding methods, you can create specialized versions of a class that inherit properties and behaviors from a parent class, while also adding or modifying functionality to suit your specific needs.
In this article, we’ll explore method overriding in Python, covering the basics, providing clear code examples, and highlighting the benefits of this technique.
Understanding Method Overriding
Before we dive into the code examples, let’s clarify what method overriding is and why it’s useful. Imagine you have a parent class called Animal
with a method called make_sound()
. Now, let's say you want to create a child class called Dog
that inherits from Animal
. However, the sound a dog makes…