Step 1: Understanding inheritance in Object-Oriented Programming.
Inheritance is an important concept in Object-Oriented Programming where one class acquires the properties and methods of another class. This allows programmers to reuse existing code and extend functionality.
In inheritance, there are two main classes involved:
Base class (or parent class) and Derived class (or child class).
Step 2: Meaning of Base Class.
A Base Class is the already existing class whose properties and methods are inherited by another class. It contains the original definitions of attributes and behaviors.
The new class that inherits from it is called the derived or child class.
Step 3: Explanation of other options.
(A) Base class: Correct. It is the existing class from which other classes inherit properties and methods.
(B) Subclass: Incorrect. A subclass is the class that inherits from another class.
(C) Child class: Incorrect. It refers to the derived class created from a base class.
(D) Derived class: Incorrect. This is the new class created through inheritance.
Step 4: Conclusion.
Therefore, the class that already exists and provides properties and methods to other classes is known as the Base Class.
Final Answer: Base class