Superclass (computer science)

In computer science, a superclass or parent class is a class from which other classes are derived. The classes that are derived from a superclass are known as child classes, derived classes, or subclasses.

A superclass allows for a generic interface to include specialized functionality through the use of virtual functions.

The superclass mechanism is extensively used in object oriented programming due to the reusability that can be achieved: common features are encapsulated in modular objects.

Languages may support both abstract and concrete superclasses.

See also