What is generalization?

Generalization defines a is-a-kind of relationship in which one class shares its structure and/or behavior with one or more other classes. The concept of generalization in UML is similar to inheritance in Java. It maps directly to the extends keyword. It is shown by a straight line originating from the subclass with a hollow arrowhead pointing at the nearest superclass.

The figure below depicts generalization in UML:

The equivalent Java code for this is as follows:

class Animal  {}
class Dog extends Animal  {}
class Cat extends Animal  {}

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