class hierarchy

from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)

class hierarchy

   <programming> A set of {classes} and their interrelationships.

   One class may be a specialisation (a "{subclass}" or "{derived
   class}") of another which is one of its "{superclasses}" or
   "{base classes}".

   When a {method} is invoked on an {object} it is first looked
   for in the object's class, then the superclass of that class,
   and so on up the hierarchy until it is found.  Thus a class
   need only define those methods which are specific to it, and
   inherits methods from all its superclasses.

   See also: {multiple inheritance}.

   (1997-08-06)