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Software

What is the difference between an abstract class and an interface?

Author divyeshaegis, 3 years ago | 3 min read | 52

What do you mean by the interface?

A class can be connected using an interface as just a plan. The interface lacks any specific techniques (techniques that have code). It is the potential to incorporate classes that implement interfaces, though. In contrast to instance variables, which are never present in interfaces, publicly static final parameters are permitted.

It is built to facilitate dynamic method resolution during program execution, to reach detached coupling between various sections of the script – an essential factor in user interfaces. Any variety of methods may be connected in an interface specified in a Java development team. A class file carries an interface’s bytecode.

The principles of interfaces are as follows: An interface is automatically abstract. You do not need to use the abstract keyword when declaring an interface. An interface’s methods are also inherently abstract, so this kind of code does not require the abstract keyword.

What is an abstract class?

An abstract class contains the word “abstract” through its declaration. It is possible to design the framework for concrete classes using abstract classes. However, the inheriting class must implement an abstract method and may have more than one concrete technique, whereas if a class has more than one concrete iteration. Each subclass of such an abstract class can have a standard interface defined for them.

It allows for code reuse and serves as a model for upcoming specialized classes. The default functionality provided by abstract classes for their parent classes’ subclasses frees programmers from worrying about how the behaviour of things they are designed to represent will work.

An abstract class versus an interface

An interface allows users to declare functionality; it doesn’t allow users to execute it. An abstract class allows users to create features and functions that subclasses may implement or modify. Classes can implement several interfaces, and types can have multiple kinds, but they can only extend one abstract class.

A class may implement Interface Abstract Multiple interfaces. The class must only inherit one abstract class. Finding all implementers and implementing new definitions while updating the interfaces is a nightmare. You can use the default implementation when dealing with abstract classes. There are no access modifiers on the interface. The interface’s definitions are all assumed to be public by default. An access modification may be used with abstract classes. Using an interface is preferable when different implementations just exchange their method signatures. Value type is polymorphism. It ought to be applied when several implementations that are identical have similar behaviour. Only public members are allowed on such an interface. Private and public members can both be found in abstract classes. Variables may only be static and final. Supported types of variables are final, non-final, static, and non-static. From JavaScript onwards, it is possible to have static and default methods. A class that has always been abstract can have abstract and concrete methods. Only abstract techniques are allowed in interfaces.

Application of Interfaces

Consider the following circumstances:

Application functionality can be described as a contract that doesn’t care who implements the behaviour, meaning that third-party vendors must completely implement it if an issue requires many inheritances and is made up of various class hierarchies.

Application of Abstract Classes

Let’s look at various cases.

While attempting to implement the inheritance notion in code, we provide shared base class functionalities that even the subclasses override, when only a partial implementation is described along with the requirement. When one desires non-final as well as non-static techniques to change an object’s state.