Difference Between Method Overriding And Method Hiding In C#

In this tutorial, we will explore the concepts of Method Overriding and Method Hiding. However, before delving into their distinctions, it is essential to have a clear understanding of both Method Overriding and Method Hiding.

What is Method Overriding?

Method overriding plays a crucial role in object-oriented programming (OOP). It allows a subclass to provide a specialized implementation for a method that was originally defined and implemented in its superclass. This feature empowers the subclass to introduce its own interpretation of a method while upholding the method signatures (including name, return type, and parameters) inherited from the parent class.

Syntax and Application of Method Overriding:

In C#, method overriding is accomplished by utilizing the override keyword within the subclass. The overridden function in the subclass must precisely match the signature (name, return type, and parameters) of the method defined in the base class.

Example:

Let's consider a scenario to demonstrate the implementation of method overriding in the C# programming language.

Example


using System;
class ParentClass
{
  public virtual void print()
  {
    //display of console statement
    Console.WriteLine("This is the parent class method.");
  }
}

class Child_Class : ParentClass
{
  public override void print()
  {
    //display of console statement
    Console.WriteLine("This is the child class method");
  }
}

class Program
{
  static void Main(string[] args)
  {
    //object creation
    Child_Class ob = new Child_Class();
    ob.print();
  }
}

Output:

Output


This is the child class method.

Method Overriding Key Points:

There are several key points of method overriding in C#. Some main key points are as follows:

✅ Method overriding is related to inheritance because it allows a subclass to give a particular version of a method derived from its superclass.
✅ The override keyword is applied in the derived class to show that the method has substituted the base class method explicitly.
✅ Dynamic binding allows for polymorphic behavior by resolving method calls at execution based on the actual type of the object.

What is the Method Hiding?

Method hiding, also referred to as method shadowing, takes place when a subclass introduces a new method with an identical name and declaration as a method in its superclass. Nevertheless, unlike method overriding, it does not maintain the identical method signature or participate in polymorphic behavior.

Syntax and Application of Method Hiding:

In C#, method hiding can be achieved by explicitly overshadowing the base class method using the new keyword within the derived class. This action results in the creation of a new method within the derived class that shares the same name as a method in the base class, but it does not function as an override.

Method Hiding Key Points:

There are several key points of method hiding in C#. Some main key points are as follows:

✅ Polymorphism: Method hiding does not enable polymorphism because the method call is resolved at compile time according to the reference type, not the actual object type.
✅ Use of New Keyword: The new keyword is used to clearly indicate that the method in the derived class is concealing the method in the base class rather than overriding it.
✅ Compile-time binding: The method to be invoked is determined at the time of compilation based on the specified reference type. Hence, it does not show polymorphic behavior.

Key Differences between Method Overriding and Method Hiding

The CSS code snippet below illustrates the styling for a placeholder diagram: