Java supports class reuse through inheritance and composition. In this two-part article we'll focus on inheritance, one of the fundamental concepts of object-oriented programming. First, you'll learn how to use the extends keyword to derive a child class from a parent class, invoke parent class constructors and methods, and override methods. Then, in Part 2, we'll tour java.lang.Object and its methods. Object is Java's ultimate superclass, from which every other class inherits.
To complete your learning about inheritance, be sure to check out the Java 101 composition and inheritance primer. You'll learn why composition is an important complement to inheritance, and how to use it to guard against issues with encapsulation in your Java programs.
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