Define following terms: 1. Inheritance 2. Friend class and friend function. 3. Friend classes and friend functions 4. this Pointer 5. Data hiding

1. Inheritance:

Inheritance is a fundamental concept in object-oriented programming (OOP) that allows a class to inherit the properties and methods of another class. The derived class (child class) inherits the features of the base class (parent class) and can extend or modify them.

Key points about inheritance:

• Is-a Relationship: Inheritance establishes an "is-a" relationship between classes. For example, if a class Dog inherits from a class Animal, then a Dog is an Animal.
• Code Reusability: Inheritance enables code reusability by allowing derived classes to inherit methods and attributes from base classes. This eliminates the need to rewrite common code for similar classes.
• Subclass and Superclass: The derived class is also known as the subclass, while the base class is called the superclass or parent class.
• Types of Inheritance: There are different types of inheritance, including single inheritance (one subclass inherits from one superclass), multiple inheritance (one subclass inherits from multiple superclasses), and hierarchical inheritance (classes arranged in a tree-like structure).

2. Friend Class and Friend Function:

In C++, a friend class or friend function is a class or function that is not a member of a class but is granted access to its private and protected members. This allows for controlled access to private data and functions of a class outside its scope.

• Friend Class: A friend class is a class that is declared as a friend of another class. This means that the friend class has access to all private and protected members of the befriended class.
• Friend Function: A friend function is a function that is declared as a friend of a class. This means that the friend function has access to all private and protected members of the befriended class.

3. Friend Classes and Friend Functions:

In C++, friend classes and friend functions allow controlled access to private and protected members of a class outside its scope. Friend classes and functions are useful when multiple classes need to access private or protected members of another class.

Key points about friend classes and friend functions:

• Friend Class: A friend class is declared using the friend keyword followed by the class name.
• Friend Function: A friend function is declared using the friend keyword followed by the function prototype.
• Access to Private and Protected Members: Friend classes and functions have access to all private and protected members of the befriended class.
• Controlled Access: Friend classes and functions provide controlled access to private and protected members, allowing only necessary and appropriate access.

4. this Pointer:

In C++, the this pointer is a special pointer that points to the current object of a class. It is an implicit parameter to all member functions of a class and can be used to access the data members and member functions of the object.

Key points about the this pointer:

• Reference to Current Object: The this pointer is a reference to the current object of the class.
• Implicit Parameter: The this pointer is an implicit parameter to all member functions of a class.
• Accessing Data Members and Member Functions: The this pointer can be used to access the data members and member functions of the current object.
• Dereferencing: The this pointer can be dereferenced to obtain the address of the current object.

5. Data Hiding:

Data hiding is a fundamental principle of object-oriented programming that involves concealing the implementation details of a class from its users. It allows for better encapsulation and protection of data.

Key points about data hiding:

• Encapsulation: Data hiding is achieved through encapsulation, which combines data and methods into a single unit.
• Access Control: Data hiding involves controlling access to data and methods through access specifiers (e.g., public, private, protected) in C++.
• Protection from External Changes: Data hiding protects data from unauthorized access and modification, ensuring that data integrity is maintained.
• Improved Security: Data hiding enhances the security of an application by preventing unauthorized access to sensitive data.