Abstract classes provide a base for other classes to inherit properties and methods in object-oriented programming. They model abstract concepts using abstract methods and cannot be instantiated directly. They are created differently in different programming languages and are only useful in languages that support inheritance.
In object-oriented programming, an abstract class provides a base class that can be used to provide other classes with a partial implementation and interface. They are incomplete on their own and used in inheritance situations in many programming languages such as Java, C++ and C#. Their use as a base class means that they are often referred to as an abstract base class (ABC).
An integral part of object-oriented programming, data abstraction removes unnecessary details of an object. In essence, it reduces the object to its main identifying characteristics. These basic characteristics provide a blueprint that can be used to create other objects with the same properties, differing only in details.
This project is defined as a class. Classes are used to encapsulate code, making it easier for the programmer because he can reference specific common routines instead of writing the routines over and over again. Programmers create child objects from classes and these objects inherit the functions and methods within the parent class.
The purpose of an abstract class is to be the framework upon which other classes are built. Objects cannot be created directly from an abstract class, only by subclasses belonging to the abstract class. For an object to inherit from an abstract class, a subclass must be created. Objects of a created subclass of an abstract class inherit the properties of that abstract class.
Each class models a concept, and abstract classes tend to model more abstract concepts using abstract methods. Abstract methods are subroutines within an abstract class that contain no implementation. These subroutines are used as placeholders to be overridden by a subclass or object designed after the class that contains the abstract method itself.
There are several methods to create an abstract class. For example, in C++, an abstract class is created by developing a class with at least one abstract method or pure virtual function. Java uses a keyword, “abstract”, to denote an abstract class. However, they aren’t defined in programming languages that don’t support the idea of inheritance.
Inheritance is the process of creating new objects from classes where the new objects can use the functions and methods defined within the parent classes without the need to reformulate the program. That’s why an abstract class is useful. Child classes and child objects of such subclasses inherit properties from the parent abstract class. Abstract classes are considered superclasses and are at the top of the class structure hierarchy, so they don’t make any sense in a language that doesn’t support inheritance.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
