What is inheritance in object-oriented programming?

Inheritance in object-oriented programming is a fundamental concept that allows a new class, often referred to as a subclass or derived class, to inherit properties and behaviors (methods) from an existing class, known as the superclass or base class. This enables code reusability and establishes a hierarchical relationship between classes.

When a subclass inherits from a superclass, it automatically gains access to all the attributes and methods defined in the superclass, which means you do not need to rewrite common functionality in every class. For instance, if there is a superclass called "Animal" with properties like "age" and "weight," and methods like "eat" and "sleep," a subclass called "Dog" can inherit these features without redefining them. The subclass can also introduce new properties and methods or override existing ones to create more specialized behavior.

Inheritance not only streamlines the development process by reducing redundancy but also enhances maintenance. Changes made in the superclass will automatically propagate to subclasses, ensuring consistency throughout the codebase. This characteristic of inheritance exemplifies one of the key principles of object-oriented programming: abstraction and encapsulation, which promote organized and modular programming practices.