Why Do Java and C# Prohibit Multiple Inheritance?

Multiple Inheritance: Why It's Prohibited in Java and C#

Multiple inheritance, a mechanism allowing classes to inherit from multiple parent classes, is deliberately omitted in Java and C#. While interfaces offer a workaround, the fundamental question remains: why is such a seemingly practical feature absent in these widely used languages?

The primary reason for this prohibition, as articulated by the language designers, lies in managing complexity. Implementing multiple inheritance introduces significant intricacies, affecting aspects such as casting, dispatch, and generics. It also complicates the resolution of conflicts and handling of duplicated bases.

Moreover, the designers also questioned the frequency and necessity of multiple inheritance. In many instances, multiple interface inheritance proves adequate, and encapsulation and delegation can often serve as viable alternatives. For .NET, concerns that languages have differing expectations for MI's implementation also influenced its exclusion.

For Java, the designers were guided by their objective of simplicity and familiarity. They believed that multiple inheritance introduced unnecessary complexity, and their experience with C (which included multiple inheritance) taught them that it created more problems than solutions.

Thus, the absence of multiple inheritance in Java and C# is primarily attributed to the designers' choices to balance simplicity, reduce complexity, and promote more manageable language design.

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