Which object-oriented concept is achieved by using overloading and overriding?

• A. Inheritance
• B. Encapsulation
• C. Polymorphism
• D. Abstraction

Answer: (C)

Polymorphism is the object-oriented concept that is achieved through the use of overloading and overriding.

Overloading allows methods to have the same name but differ in the number or type of parameters. This means that a single method can behave differently based on the input it receives, which exemplifies one aspect of polymorphism known as compile-time polymorphism (or static polymorphism).

Overriding, on the other hand, occurs when a subclass provides a specific implementation of a method that is already defined in its superclass. This is an example of runtime polymorphism (or dynamic polymorphism), where the method that gets executed is determined at runtime based on the object’s actual class, not just the type of reference variable.

Together, both overloading and overriding enable a single interface to represent different underlying forms (data types), which is the essence of polymorphism. This allows for more flexible and reusable code, as functions can be designed to work with different data types or to provide specific behavior in subclasses, enhancing the overall adaptability of the program.