Implement a program to demonstrate multiple inheritance in C++

🔷 Understanding Multiple Inheritance in C++

In object-oriented programming (OOP), inheritance allows a class to inherit attributes and behaviors (i.e., data and functions) from another class. One special and powerful form of inheritance in C++ is Multiple Inheritance.

✅ What is Multiple Inheritance?

Multiple inheritance means a single derived class can inherit from two or more base classes. This allows the derived class to combine and utilize features from multiple parent classes.

> Example: A class `Manager` may inherit from both `Employee` and `Department`.

🔑 Advantages of Multiple Inheritance

• Code Reusability: Inherit functions and data from more than one base class.
• Combining Functionalities: You can design classes with combined traits or roles.
• Flexibility: Offers more flexible modeling of real-world scenarios

⚠️ Challenges in Multiple Inheritance

• Ambiguity: If two base classes have a function or variable with the same name, the derived class must resolve which one to use.
• Complexity: Managing constructors and data flow can be complicated in large-scale projects.

🧑‍💻 C++ Program to Demonstrate Multiple Inheritance

Let’s create a program where a `Person` class and a `Qualification` class are both inherited by the `Employee` class.

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

// Base Class 1

class Person {

protected:

    string name;

    int age;

public:

    void setPersonDetails(string n, int a) {

        name = n;

        age = a;

    }

    void showPersonDetails() {

        cout << "Name: " << name << endl;

        cout << "Age: " << age << endl;

    }

};

// Base Class 2

class Qualification {

protected:

    string degree;

    int year;

public:

    void setQualification(string d, int y) {

        degree = d;

        year = y;

    }

    void showQualification() {

        cout << "Degree: " << degree << endl;

        cout << "Passing Year: " << year << endl;

    }

};

// Derived Class

class Employee : public Person, public Qualification {

private:

    int empID;

    string department;

public:

    void setEmployeeDetails(int id, string dept) {

        empID = id;

        department = dept;

    }

    void showEmployeeDetails() {

        showPersonDetails();      // From Person

        showQualification();      // From Qualification

        cout << "Employee ID: " << empID << endl;

        cout << "Department: " << department << endl;

    }

};

int main() {

    Employee e1;

    // Setting values through functions from multiple base classes

    e1.setPersonDetails("Vivek Bhardwaj", 30);

    e1.setQualification("MCA", 2020);

    e1.setEmployeeDetails(101, "Computer Science");

    cout << "\nEmployee Profile:\n";

    e1.showEmployeeDetails();

    return 0;

}

🖨️ Sample Output

Employee Profile:

Name: Vivek Bhardwaj

Age: 30

Degree: MCA

Passing Year: 2020

Employee ID: 101

Department: Computer Science

📘 Code Explanation

• `Person` and `Qualification` are base classes.
• `Employee` is the derived class that inherits from both.
• The derived class combines personal, educational, and employment data.
• Functions from both base classes are accessible in the derived class.

📝 Conclusion

Multiple inheritance is a powerful feature in C++ that allows a class to inherit characteristics from more than one base class. However, it must be used wisely to avoid ambiguity and maintain clean code architecture.