What is dynamic binding in object-oriented programming?

Dynamic binding, also known as late binding, refers to the process of linking a procedure call to the code that will execute it at runtime rather than at compile time. This is a powerful feature of object-oriented programming that allows a program to determine which method to invoke based on the actual object type at runtime, which can lead to more flexible and dynamic code execution.

In the context of polymorphism, dynamic binding enables a program to invoke the appropriate method implementation for a specific object, allowing for different behaviors even when the methods are called through a reference of a common superclass. This ability to defer method resolution until runtime is crucial for achieving polymorphic behavior, allowing objects of different classes to be treated uniformly while still executing class-specific behaviors.

The other options do not accurately capture the core concept. Linking procedures at compile time is known as static binding and does not offer the flexibility that dynamic binding does. Describing dynamic binding as a type of constructor call does not address its true nature, which relates to method invocation rather than object creation. Lastly, while hierarchical relationships in class structures might utilize dynamic binding, defining dynamic binding as simply a method for such relationships misses the broader implications of method resolution and execution.