Unlocking the Power of Inheritance in Swift
The Magic of Method Overriding
In Swift, inheritance allows a subclass to inherit the methods and properties of its superclass, giving it direct access to the superclass members. But what happens when the same method is defined in both the superclass and subclass? This is where method overriding comes into play. The subclass method takes precedence over the superclass method, allowing for more specific or customized behavior.
A Closer Look at Method Overriding
Let’s consider an example. Suppose we have a Vehicle superclass with a displayInfo() method, and a Car subclass that also defines a displayInfo() method. By using the override keyword, we can specify that the Car subclass method overrides the Vehicle superclass method. When we call the displayInfo() method on an instance of Car, the subclass method is executed, not the superclass method.
Accessing the Superclass Method
But what if we want to access the superclass method from the subclass? That’s where the super keyword comes in. By using super, we can call the superclass method from within the subclass method. This allows us to build upon the behavior of the superclass while still providing customized behavior in the subclass.
Preventing Method Overriding
In some cases, we may want to prevent a method from being overridden. Swift provides a way to do just that using the final keyword. By declaring a method as final in the superclass, we can ensure that it cannot be overridden in any subclasses.
Overriding Computed Properties
In addition to methods, Swift also allows us to override computed properties. This means that a subclass can provide its own implementation of a computed property defined in its superclass. However, it’s important to note that stored properties cannot be overridden in Swift.
By mastering method overriding and property overriding, you can unlock the full potential of inheritance in Swift and write more powerful, flexible, and reusable code.