How Java supports Inheritance

Inheritance is one of the fundamental principles of object-oriented programming. Inheritance allows a class (subclass) to inherit characteristics and behaviors from another class (superclass). Here are some ways Java supports inheritance:

Keyword "extends"

The "extends" keyword is used to establish an inheritance relationship between two classes. The subclass extends the superclass, thus acquiring the attributes and methods of the superclass.

public class Animal {
     // superclass attributes and methods
}
public class Dog extends Animal {
     // subclass-specific attributes and methods
}

Attributes and Methods Inheritance

The subclass inherits attributes and methods from the superclass, allowing code reuse.

Dog myDog = new Dog();
myDog.setName("Rex"); // Animal superclass method
myDog.bark(); // Dog subclass specific method

Method "super"

The "super" keyword is used to call superclass methods or access attributes from the subclass.

public class Dog extends Animal {
     public void bark() {
         super.makeSound(); // calls method makeSound() of superclass Animal
         System.out.println("Dog Barking");
     }
}

Override

The subclass can provide a specific implementation for a method that is already defined in the superclass. This is known as method overriding.

@Override

public void makeSound() {

     System.out.println("Dog Barking");

}

Polymorphism

Polymorphism is supported in Java, allowing references from a superclass to be used to manipulate objects from subclasses.

Animal myAnimal = new Dog(); // polymorphism 

myAnimal.makeSound(); // invoke the specific Dog subclass method

Constructors in the Inheritance Hierarchy

Constructors in the inheritance hierarchy are called in the correct order, ensuring that necessary initializations are made to all classes.

public class Animal {

     public Animal() {

         System.out.println("Animal superclass constructor");

     }

}

public class Dog extends Animal {

     public Dog() {

         super(); // call the Animal superclass constructor

         System.out.println("Dog subclass constructor");

     }

}

These are some main aspects through which Java supports inheritance. It is a powerful tool for creating class hierarchies, promoting code reuse, flexibility and extensibility in object-oriented software development.