Abstract Classes vs. Interfaces
I am assuming you are having all the basic knowledge of abstract and interface keyword. I am just briefing the basics.
We can not make instance of Abstract Class as well as Interface.
Here are few differences in Abstract class and Interface as per the definition.
Abstract class can contain abstract methods, abstract property as well as other members (just like normal class).
Interface can only contain abstract methods, properties but we don’t need to put abstract and public keyword. All the methods and properties defined in Interface are by default public and abstract.
//Abstarct Class
public abstract class Vehicles
{
private int noOfWheel;
private string color;
public abstract string Engine
{
get;
set;
}
public abstract void Accelerator();
}
//Interface
public interface Vehicles
{
string Engine
{
get;
set;
}
void Accelerator();
}
We can see abstract class contains private members also we can put some methods with implementation also. But in case of interface only methods and properties allowed.
We use abstract class and Interface for the base class in our application.
This is all about the language defination. Now million doller question:
How can we take decision about when we have to use Interface and when Abstract Class.
Basicly abstact class is a abstract view of any realword entity and interface is more abstract one. When we thinking about the entity there are two things one is intention and one is implemntation. Intention means I know about the entity and also may have idea about its state as well as behaviour but don’t know about how its looks or works or may know partially. Implementation means actual state and behaviour of entity.
Enough theory lets take an example.
I am trying to make a Content Management System where content is a genralize form of article, reviews, blogs etc.
CONTENT
ARTICLE
BLOGS
REVIEW
So content is our base class now how we make a decision whether content class should be Abstract class, Interface or normal class.
First normal class vs other type (abstract and interface). If content is not a core entity of my application means as per the business logic if content is nothing in my application only Article, Blogs, Review are the core part of business logic then content class should not be a normal class because I’ll never make instance of that class. So if you will never make instance of base class then Abstract class and Interface are the more appropriate choice.
Second between Interface and Abstract Class.
CONTENT
Publish ()
ARTICLE
BLOGS
REVIEW
As you can see content having behavior named “Publish”. If according to my business logic Publish having some default behavior which apply to all I’ll prefer content class as an Abstract class. If there is no default behavior for the “Publish” and every drive class makes their own implementation then there is no need to implement “Publish” behavior in the base case I’ll prefer Interface.
These are the in general idea of taking decision between abstract class, interface and normal class. But there is one catch. As we all know there is one constant in software that is “CHANGE”. If I made content class as Interface then it is difficult to make changes in base class because if I add new method or property in content interface then I have to implement new method in every drive class. These problems will over come if you are using abstract class for content class and new method is not an abstract type. So we can replace interface with abstract class except multiple inheritance.
CAN-DO and IS-A relationship is also define the deference between Interface and abstract class. As we already discuss Interface can be use for multiple inheritance for example we have another interface named “ICopy” which having behavior copy and every drive class have to implements its own implementation of Copy. If “Article” class drive from abstract class Content as well as ICopy then article “CAN-DO” copy also.
IS-A is for “generalization” and “specialization” means content is a generalize form of Article, Blogs, Review and Article, Blogs, Review are a specialize form of Content.
So, abstract class defines core identity. If we are thinking in term of speed then abstract is fast then interface because interface requires extra in-direction.
So as per my view Abstract class having upper-hand in compare to interface. Using interface having only advantage of multiple inheritance. If you don’t understand the things then don’t worry because it’s my mistake because I am not able to describe the topic.
-------------------
We use abstract class and interface where two or more entities do same type of work but in different ways. Means the way of functioning is not clear while defining abstract class or interface. When functionality of each task is not clear then we define interface. If functionality of some task is clear to us but there exist some functions whose functionality differs object by object then we declare abstract class.
We can not make instance of Abstract Class as well as Interface. They only allow other classes to inherit from them. And abstract functions must be overridden by the implemented classes. Here are some differences in abstract class and interface.
An interface cannot provide code of any method or property, just the signature. we don't need to put abstract and public keyword. All the methods and properties defined in Interface are by default public and abstract. An abstract class can provide complete code of methods but there must exist a method or property without body.
A class can implement several interfaces but can inherit only one abstract class. Means multiple inheritance is possible in .Net through Interfaces.
If we add a new method to an Interface then we have to define implementation for the new method in every implemented class. But If we add a new method to an abstract class then we can provide default implementation and therefore all the existing code might work properly
----
If a class is to serve the purpose of providing common fields and members to all subclasses, we create an Abstract class. For creating an abstract class, we make use of the abstract keyword. Such a class cannot be instantiated. Syntax below:
abstract public class Vehicle { }
Above, an abstract class named Vehicle has been defined. We may use the fields, properties and member functions defined within this abstract class to create child classes like Car, Truck, Bike etc. that inherit the features defined within the abstract class. To prevent directly creating an instance of the class Vehicle, we make use of the abstract keyword. To use the definitions defined in the abstract class, the child class inherits from the abstract class, and then instances of the Child class may be easily created.
Further, we may define abstract methods within an abstract class (analogous to C++ pure virtual functions) when we wish to define a method that does not have any default implementation. Its then in the hands of the descendant class to provide the details of the method. There may be any number of abstract methods in an abstract class. We define an abstract method using the abstract keyword. If we do not use the abstract keyword, and use the virtual keyword instead, we may provide an implementation of the method that can be used by the child class, but this is not an abstract method.
Remember, abstract class can have an abstract method, that does not have any implementation, for which we use the abstract keyword, OR the abstract class may have a virtual method, that can have an implementation, and can be overriden in the child class as well, using the override keyword. Read example below
Example: Abstract Class with Abstract method
namespace Automobiles
{
public abstract class Vehicle
{
public abstract void Speed() //No Implementation here, only definition
}
}
Example: Abstract Class with Virtual method
namespace Automobiles
{
public abstract class Vehicle
{
public virtual void Speed() //Can have an implementation, that may be overriden in child class
{
...
}
}
Public class Car : Vehicle
{
Public override void Speed()
//Here, we override whatever implementation is there in the abstract class
{
... //Child class implementation of the method Speed()
}
}
}
An Interface is a collection of semantically related abstract members. An interface expresses through the members it defines, the behaviors that a class needs to support. An interface is defined using the keyword interface. The members defined in an interface contain only definition, no implementation. The members of an interface are all public by default, any other access specifier cannot be used. See code below:
Public interface IVehicle //As a convention, an interface is prefixed by letter I
{
Boolean HasFourWheels()
}
Time to discuss the Difference between Abstract Class and Interface
1) A class may inherit only one abstract class, but may implement multiple number of Interfaces. Say a class named Car needs to inherit some basic features of a vehicle, it may inherit from an Aabstract class named Vehicle. A car may be of any kind, it may be a vintage car, a sedan, a coupe, or a racing car. For these kind of requirements, say a car needs to have only two seats (means it is a coupe), then the class Car needs to implement a member field from an interface, that we make, say ICoupe.
2) Members of an abstract class may have any access modifier, but members of an interface are public by default, and cant have any other access modifier.
3) Abstract class methods may OR may not have an implementation, while methods in an Interface only have a definition, no implementation.
