Polymorphism Example - Shapes

Shapes Package

The Shapes package provides a basic demonstration of object-oriented principles in Java, particularly class extension and inheritance. This package includes the following classes:

• Circle: Represents a circle with a specified radius.
• Rectangle: Represents a rectangle with a given width and height.
• Square: Extends Rectangle, enforcing equal width and height.

Understanding Class Extension in Java

In Java, inheritance allows a class to acquire properties and behaviors from another class. This is achieved using the extends keyword.

Example in the Shapes Package

• Square extends Rectangle, meaning a square is a specialized form of a rectangle where the width and height are always equal.
• This demonstrates code reuse, as Square inherits methods from Rectangle without rewriting common functionality.

Benefits of Inheritance

• Code Reusability: Shared attributes and methods reduce redundancy.
• Maintainability: Changes in the parent class automatically apply to subclasses.
• Extensibility: New features can be added to subclasses without modifying the parent class.