HAS-A vs IS-A in OOP C#

[Lomanu4]

In Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), HAS-A and IS-A relationships are fundamental concepts used to describe how classes and objects relate to each other. While these apply to many OOP languages like Java or C#, the principles are universal.

IS-A Relationship (Inheritance)

• Represents: A subtype relationship (child → parent)
• Mechanism: Achieved through inheritance.
• Implies: The derived class is a type of the base class.
• Usage: Use when there’s a clear hierarchical relationship.

? C# Syntax Example:


public class Animal {
public void Eat() => Console.WriteLine("Eating...");
}

public class Dog : Animal {
public void Bark() => Console.WriteLine("Barking...");
}

// Usage
Dog dog = new Dog();
dog.Eat(); // Inherited
dog.Bark(); // Dog-specific

• Dog IS-A Animal.

HAS-A Relationship (Composition)

• Represents: A class containing references to other classes as members.
• Mechanism: Achieved through composition (member variables).
• Implies: A class has a reference to another class.
• Usage: Use when one object uses another.

? C# Syntax Example:


public class Engine {
public void Start() => Console.WriteLine("Engine starting...");
}

public class Car {
private Engine engine = new Engine();

public void StartCar() {
engine.Start();
Console.WriteLine("Car started.");
}
}

// Usage
Car car = new Car();
car.StartCar();

• Car HAS-A Engine.

? Summary Table:

Aspect	IS-A	HAS-A
Meaning	Inheritance (child ← parent)	Composition (class contains)
Implementation	class B : A {}	class A { B b; }
Example	Dog : Animal	Car has Engine
Use Case	Reuse behavior via inheritance	Delegate tasks via composition
Polymorphism	Supported	Not directly

? Best Practice

• Prefer composition (HAS-A) over inheritance (IS-A) when possible (favor delegation for flexibility).
• Use IS-A only when the subclass truly fulfills the contract of the superclass (Liskov Substitution Principle).

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