F# Inheritance Method Overriding

Inheritance is an important feature of object-oriented programming. F# allows inheritance between classes and supports method overriding. In this page, we will discuss method overriding with inheritance in F#.

Syntax

When you declare a method in a derived class with the same name and signature of a method in the base class, you are overriding the base class method. To override a method in F#, you use the override keyword before the method signature.

Here is the syntax for method overriding in F#:

type DerivedClass() =
    inherit BaseClass()

    override this.MethodName(parameters) =
        // Implementation of the derived class method
        // ...

Example

Here is an example that shows how to override a method in F#:

type Shape() =
    abstract member area : float

type Rectangle(width : float, height : float) =
    inherit Shape()

    override this.area =
        width * height

type Circle(radius : float) =
    inherit Shape()

    override this.area =
        Math.PI * radius ** 2.0

In this example, the Shape class defines an abstract method area. The Rectangle and Circle classes inherit the Shape class and override the area method to provide their own implementation.

Output

When you call the area method on an instance of the Rectangle or Circle class, you get the calculated area based on the implementation from the derived class.

Explanation

Method overriding allows a derived class to provide its own implementation for a method that is already defined in the base class. This enables polymorphism, where a derived class can be used interchangeably with the base class instance.

In F#, you override a method by using the override keyword in the derived class definition followed by the implementation of the method.

Use

Method overriding is useful for creating derived classes that specialize or modify the behavior of the base class. By overriding methods, you can provide specific implementation details for the derived class.

Important Points

• Method overriding allows a derived class to provide its own implementation for a method that is already defined in the base class.
• In F#, you override a method by using the override keyword in the derived class definition followed by the implementation of the method.

Summary

In this page, we discussed method overriding with inheritance in F#. We covered the syntax, example, output, explanation, use, important points, and summary of method overriding. By using method overriding in F#, you can specialize or modify the behavior of base class methods to better fit the specific needs of your derived classes.