Inheritance is a way to

Inheritance is a way to:
a. Organize data
b. Pass arguments to objects of classes
c. Add features to existing classes without rewriting them
d. Improve data-hiding and encapsulation

The correct answer and explanation is:

The correct answer is:

c. Add features to existing classes without rewriting them

Explanation:

Inheritance is one of the core concepts of object-oriented programming (OOP). It allows a new class (called a subclass or derived class) to inherit properties and behaviors (methods) from an existing class (called a superclass or base class). This mechanism enables you to extend or modify the behavior of an existing class without having to rewrite its code, which promotes code reuse and simplifies the development process.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of how inheritance works and why it answers the question:

1. Code Reusability: Inheritance allows you to reuse the code from a base class in a derived class. You can create a new class that automatically inherits the properties and methods of an existing class, which prevents the need to rewrite code that is already written and tested. This leads to faster development and easier maintenance.
2. Extend or Modify Behavior: The derived class can add new properties or methods (extending the functionality) or modify existing methods (overriding). This flexibility allows the programmer to build upon existing code without altering the original base class, making it easier to manage and maintain.
3. Hierarchical Relationships: Inheritance allows you to create a hierarchy of classes where subclasses represent more specialized versions of the base class. For example, you could have a general class Animal, and specific subclasses such as Dog and Cat, which inherit common features like eat() or sleep() from Animal, but can also have their own specialized features like bark() for Dog or meow() for Cat.
4. Simplified Maintenance: If changes or bug fixes are required in the base class, these changes are automatically inherited by all subclasses, which reduces the chance of errors and makes maintenance more efficient.

Thus, inheritance provides a powerful way to add new features and functionalities to existing classes, making the software more modular and extensible without unnecessary duplication of code. This leads to cleaner, more efficient, and maintainable code.