SUPERCLASS (COMPUTER SCIENCE)

In computer science, a 'superclass' is a class from which other classes are derived. A superclass is also called a ''parent class''. The classes that are derived from a superclass are known as ''child classes'', ''derived classes'', or subclasses. We can also say that a class 'A' ''extends'' class 'B' when 'A' is a ''subclass'' of 'B'.
A superclass allows for a generic interface to specialized functionality through the use of virtual functions.
The superclass mechanism is extensively used in object oriented programming due to the reusability that can be achieved: common features are encapsulated in modular objects.
Languages may support both abstract and concrete superclasses.

Contents

Base Class

See also

Base Class

A ''base class'' is a class that has no superclass, and is therefore at the base of the tree of subclasses. Most object-oriented programming systems provide a library of classes from which the developer derives their own. These libraries will often have a single or a small set of base classes which provide the foundation for the library.
Where a language or library has a single base class then this is also know as a Top type.
In UML a class may have its ''root'' property set to show that it is a base class.

See also

★ Top type

★ Implementation inheritance

★ Inheritance semantics

★ Virtual Inheritance
In UML, class extension (subclassing) is represented as follows: