Dynamic method dispatch is a feature associated with which concept?

Dynamic method dispatch is a key feature related to the concept of polymorphism in object-oriented programming. Polymorphism allows objects of different classes to be treated as objects of a common super class. Specifically, dynamic method dispatch refers to the process of determining which method to execute at runtime based on the object's actual class rather than the type of reference variable it is being called on.

In the context of polymorphism, when a method is overridden in a subclass, the version of the method that gets called is determined by the object being referenced at runtime, not by the type of reference variable. This enables flexibility and the execution of the appropriate method tailored to the specific object's class, contributing to more expressive and maintainable code.

This understanding of dynamic method dispatch underscores its integral role in achieving polymorphic behavior, allowing developers to write more dynamic and reusable code structures. Other concepts like inheritance, composition, and abstraction contribute to the object-oriented paradigm but do not specifically encapsulate the mechanism of method resolution that occurs at runtime, which is the essence of dynamic method dispatch.