What is the concept of polymorphism in C++?

Polymorphism in C++ is a crucial feature of object-oriented programming, allowing objects from different classes to respond differently to the same message. Polymorphism is achieved through inheritance and virtual functions.

The concept of polymorphism refers to the ability to call virtual functions of a derived class object using a pointer or reference to the base class, allowing the appropriate function to be executed based on the actual type of object. This means that the function call can be determined at runtime.

In C++, by declaring the functions of the base class as virtual, derived classes can override the same named functions of the base class. When calling this virtual function through a pointer or reference to the base class, the function to be called will be determined based on the actual type of the object pointed to by the pointer or reference, rather than the type of the pointer or reference, thus achieving polymorphism.

Polymorphism helps achieve code reusability and flexibility, allowing programs to exhibit different behaviors based on the types of objects and enhancing the program’s scalability and maintainability.