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C# Polymorphism: A Quick Guide
Polymorphism in C# allows objects to be treated as instances of their parent class. It enables you to perform a single action in different ways. There are two main types: method overriding and method overloading.
1. Method Overriding
Method overriding allows a derived class to provide a specific implementation of a method that is already defined in its base class.
class Animal
{
public virtual void MakeSound()
{
Console.WriteLine("The animal makes a sound");
}
}
class Dog : Animal
{
public override void MakeSound()
{
Console.WriteLine("The dog barks");
}
}
class Cat : Animal
{
public override void MakeSound()
{
Console.WriteLine("The cat meows");
}
}
// Usage
Animal myAnimal = new Animal();
Animal myDog = new Dog();
Animal myCat = new Cat();
myAnimal.MakeSound(); // Output: The animal makes a sound
myDog.MakeSound(); // Output: The dog barks
myCat.MakeSound(); // Output: The cat meows
Key Points:
2. Method Overloading
Method overloading allows multiple methods in the same class with the same name but different parameters.
class Calculator
{
public int Add(int a, int b)
{
return a + b;
}
public double Add(double a, double b)
{
return a + b;
}
public int Add(int a, int b, int c)
{
return a + b + c;
}
}
// Usage
Calculator calc = new Calculator();
Console.WriteLine(calc.Add(5, 10)); // Output: 15
Console.WriteLine(calc.Add(5.5, 10.5)); // Output: 16
Console.WriteLine(calc.Add(5, 10, 15)); // Output: 30
Key Points:
Benefits of Polymorphism
Remember, polymorphism is a powerful feature in object-oriented programming. It allows you to write more flexible and scalable code by treating related objects in a uniform way.
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