how many forms of polymorphism Swift has?

Asked on 08/09/2024

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Swift supports two main forms of polymorphism:

  1. Inheritance-based Polymorphism: This is the traditional form of polymorphism found in many object-oriented languages. In Swift, classes support single inheritance, allowing a subclass to inherit from a superclass. Methods in the superclass can be overridden by methods in the subclass, enabling polymorphic behavior.

  2. Protocol-based Polymorphism: Protocols in Swift provide a more general way to build abstractions. A protocol defines a set of requirements for a type, and any type that conforms to a protocol must implement those requirements. This form of polymorphism works equally well with both value and reference types, making it a versatile tool in Swift.

These forms of polymorphism allow developers to write flexible and reusable code by abstracting common functionality and enabling different types to be used interchangeably based on shared behavior.