Question

A class that passes its attributes and methods on to another class is referred to as a(n) ______.

O subclass
O inheritance
O base class
O instance

Answer 1

A class that passes its attributes and methods on to another class is called a base class, which is essential in object-oriented programming for code reuse and inheritance.

Step-by-step explanation:

A class that passes its attributes and methods on to another class is referred to as a base class. The term base class is synonymous with superclass, indicating the class from which a subclass inherits features. In object-oriented programming, when creating a new class (a subclass or derived class), you can inherit from a base class to use or modify existing functionality without rewriting it.

For example, in a class hierarchy where Animal is a base class, specific animal classes like Dog or Cat can inherit from it and gain its attributes, such as species, and methods, like makeSound().

This allows for code reuse and a more organized structure. Understanding the concept of a base class is fundamental in programming, as it is a key component of inheritance, which is a cornerstone of object-oriented design.