In Java, multiple inheritance is not allowed between classes. However, we can achieve the same effect through the use of interfaces. Interfaces allow a class to inherit multiple behaviors from different interfaces, effectively simulating multiple inheritance.

To demonstrate this, let’s consider an example scenario where we have two interfaces: Walkable and Swimmable.

Defining the Interfaces

First, let’s define the two interfaces:

public interface Walkable {
    void walk();
}

public interface Swimmable {
    void swim();
}

Implementing the Interfaces

Next, we’ll create a class called Human that implements both interfaces:

public class Human implements Walkable, Swimmable {
    public void walk() {
        System.out.println("Walking...");
    }

    public void swim() {
        System.out.println("Swimming...");
    }

    // Additional methods and members specific to the Human class
}

Using Multiple Inheritance

Now, let’s see how we can use the Human class to utilize the behavior from both the Walkable and Swimmable interfaces:

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Human john = new Human();
        john.walk(); // Output: Walking...
        john.swim(); // Output: Swimming...
    }
}

In the above example, the Human class implements both the Walkable and Swimmable interfaces. As a result, we can create an instance of the Human class and use both the walk() and swim() methods, achieving the effect of multiple inheritance.

By using interfaces, we can define multiple behaviors and achieve a form of multiple inheritance in Java. It’s important to note that this approach allows a class to inherit multiple behaviors, but not the state or implementation of the interfaces.

#Java #Inheritance