Link to home
Start Free TrialLog in
Avatar of manas_ghosal
manas_ghosal

asked on

Interface and Abstract class confusion

What is conceptually the difference between Interaces and Abstract classes?
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
Avatar of bucaro
bucaro

Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
Avatar of tahir_naeem
tahir_naeem

If you are exposing some services in your objects you must create an interface. A class implementing an interface actually signs a contract that it implements all the methods of that interface.
An abstract class is a way of forcing any class that extends the abstract class to implement certain methods.

An abstract class is any class that has an abstract method.
If I subclass an abstract class and do not provide a proper implementation of all the abstract methods (i.e. override them) then I will inherit the abstract methods of the superclass and my own class will become abstract itself.

Since abstract classes cannot be instantiated I must provide the correct methods for my object to exist.

Interfaces, as has already been said, provide no method implementations at all but represent an idea or template of how any object in that class must behave.
Avatar of Jim Cakalic
Did these comments remove your confusion or do you still need help on this topic?
You still have questions open dating back to the year 2000.  ADMINISTRATION WILL BE CONTACTING YOU SHORTLY.  Moderators Computer101 or Netminder will return to finalize these if they are still open in 14 days.  Experts, please post closing recommendations before that time.

Below are your open questions as of today.  Questions which have been inactive for 21 days or longer are considered to be abandoned and for those, your options are:
1. Accept a Comment As Answer (use the button next to the Expert's name).
2. Close the question if the information was not useful to you, but may help others. You must tell the participants why you wish to do this, and allow for Expert response.  This choice will include a refund to you, and will move this question to our PAQ (Previously Asked Question) database.  If you found information outside this question thread, please add it.
3. Ask Community Support to help split points between participating experts, or just comment here with details and we'll respond with the process.
4. Delete the question (if it has no potential value for others).
   --> Post comments for expert of your intention to delete and why
   --> YOU CANNOT DELETE A QUESTION with comments; special handling by a Moderator is required.

For special handling needs, please post a zero point question in the link below and include the URL (question QID/link) that it regards with details.
https://www.experts-exchange.com/jsp/qList.jsp?ta=commspt
 
Please click this link for Help Desk, Guidelines/Member Agreement and the Question/Answer process.  https://www.experts-exchange.com/jsp/cmtyHelpDesk.jsp

Click you Member Profile to view your question history and please keep them updated. If you are a KnowledgePro user, use the Power Search option to find them.  

Questions which are LOCKED with a Proposed Answer but do not help you, should be rejected with comments added.  When you grade the question less than an A, please comment as to why.  This helps all involved, as well as others who may access this item in the future.  PLEASE DO NOT AWARD POINTS TO ME.

To view your open questions, please click the following link(s) and keep them all current with updates.
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/Q.11576379.html
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/Q.11771660.html
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/Q.20021632.html
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/Q.20021633.html
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/Q.20073130.html
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/Q.20074958.html
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/Q.20093305.html
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/Q.20174832.html
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/Q.20188009.html
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/Q.20257016.html
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/Q.20264169.html
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/Q.20272528.html
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/Q.20279237.html
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/Q.20283179.html
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/Q.20285545.html
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/Q.20287951.html
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/Q.20291697.html
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/Q.20293847.html



*****  E X P E R T S    P L E A S E  ******  Leave your closing recommendations.
If you are interested in the cleanup effort, please click this link
https://www.experts-exchange.com/jsp/qManageQuestion.jsp?ta=commspt&qid=20274643 
POINTS FOR EXPERTS awaiting comments are listed in the link below
https://www.experts-exchange.com/commspt/Q.20277028.html
 
Moderators will finalize this question if in @14 days Asker has not responded.  This will be moved to the PAQ (Previously Asked Questions) at zero points, deleted or awarded.
 
Thanks everyone.
Moondancer
Moderator @ Experts Exchange
Points have been split.  Experts please comment in your respective question links below:

Points for tahir_naeem@lc -> https://www.experts-exchange.com/jsp/qShow.jsp?qid=20300980
Points for ozymandias -> https://www.experts-exchange.com/jsp/qShow.jsp?qid=20300982

Moondancer - EE Moderator