Polymorphism is a fundamental concept in object-oriented programming (OOP) that allows objects of different classes to be used interchangeably. It refers to the ability of objects of different types to be processed in the same way, as long as they implement the same interface or have the same base class.
There are two main types of polymorphism: compile-time (static) polymorphism and runtime (dynamic) polymorphism.
Compile-time polymorphism refers to the ability of a programming language to determine which method to invoke at compile-time, based on the type of arguments passed to the method. This is achieved through method overloading and operator overloading.
Runtime polymorphism, on the other hand, refers to the ability of a programming language to determine which method to invoke at runtime, based on the actual type of the object. This is achieved through method overriding and inheritance.
Polymorphism is a powerful tool in OOP that helps to reduce code complexity, improve code reusability, and make code more extensible. It is one of the key features of OOP, and is widely used in many programming languages, including Java, C++, Python, and Ruby.
Polymorphism is a concept in object-oriented programming (OOP) that refers to the ability of an object to take on many forms or types. Specifically, it allows objects of different classes to be treated as if they are objects of a common superclass or interface.
Polymorphism is achieved through method overriding and method overloading. Method overriding occurs when a subclass provides its own implementation of a method that is already defined in its superclass. This allows the subclass to use the same method name as the superclass, but with a different implementation. Method overloading occurs when multiple methods have the same name but different parameters. The correct method to call is determined by the number and types of parameters passed to it.
The benefit of polymorphism is that it allows for more flexible and reusable code. It enables a single function or method to handle many different types of objects, without needing to know the details of each specific object. This makes it easier to create more general-purpose code that can be applied to a wider range of scenarios.