Difference between Single and Multiple Inheritance in C++

Single Inheritance

Single inheritance is one in which the derived class inherits the single base class either public, private, or protected access specifier. In single inheritance, the derived class uses the features or members of the single base class. These base class members can be accessed by a derived class or child class according to the access specifier specified while inheriting the parent class or base class.

Syntax

Class DerivedClass_name : access_specifier Base_Class
{
    //Class's Body 
};

Example: Program to illustrate Single Inheritance

// C++ program to illustrate Single Inheritance
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
class A {
public:
    int k = 1000;
    float salary = 80000;
};
class B : public A {
public:
    float bonus = 8000;
    void ts()
    {
        cout << "Total salary.." << (salary + bonus)
             << endl;
    }
};
int main()
{
    B b1;
    cout << "Salary:" << b1.salary << endl;
    cout << "Bonus:" << b1.bonus << endl;
    b1.ts();
    return 0;
}

Salary:80000
Bonus:8000
Total salary..88000

In this example, A is the base class or parent class and B is the derived class or child class.

Multiple Inheritance

Multiple inheritance is one in which the derived class acquires two or more base classes. In multiple inheritance, the derived class is allowed to use the joint features of the inherited base classes. Every base class is inherited by the derived class by notifying the separate access specifier for each of them.

The base class members can be accessed by the derived class or child class according to the access specifier specified during inheriting the parent class or base class.

Syntax

Class DerivedClass_name : access_specifier Base_Class1, access_specifier Base_Class2
{
    //Class's Body 
};

Example: Program to illustrate Multiple Inheritance

In the below C++ program, A and B are the base classes and C is the derived class.

// C++ program to illustrate Multiple Inheritance

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
class A {
protected:
    int a;

public:
    void get_a(int n) { a = n; }
};

class B {
protected:
    int b;

public:
    void get_b(int n) { b = n; }
};

class C : public A, public B {
public:
    void display()
    {
        cout << "The value of a is : " << a << endl;
        cout << "The value of b is : " << b << endl;
        cout << "Product of a and b is : " << a * b;
    }
};

int main()
{
    C c;
    c.get_a(10);
    c.get_b(20);
    c.display();

    return 0;
}

The value of a is : 10
The value of b is : 20
Product of a and b is : 200

Difference between Single Inheritance and Multiple Inheritance

Related Articles:

• Inheritance in C++
• Multiple Inheritance in C++