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Abstract Classes Interfaces

This document discusses abstract classes and interfaces in Java. It explains that abstract classes can contain abstract methods that subclasses must implement. Abstract classes cannot be instantiated. Interfaces also contain abstract methods that implementing classes must define, allowing Java to support multiple inheritance through interfaces. The document provides examples of abstract classes and interfaces and how subclasses and implementing classes extend them.

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John Mathias
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
34 views

Abstract Classes Interfaces

This document discusses abstract classes and interfaces in Java. It explains that abstract classes can contain abstract methods that subclasses must implement. Abstract classes cannot be instantiated. Interfaces also contain abstract methods that implementing classes must define, allowing Java to support multiple inheritance through interfaces. The document provides examples of abstract classes and interfaces and how subclasses and implementing classes extend them.

Uploaded by

John Mathias
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Abstract Classes

Interfaces
CSCI 201
Principles of Software Development

Jeffrey Miller, Ph.D.


[email protected]
Outline
• Abstract Classes
• Interfaces

USC CSCI 201L


Abstract Classes
▪ An abstract class is a way for parent classes to guarantee that child
classes provide an implementation for a specific method
› Consider the Shape example. Even though a Shape does not know how to
find the area of a Triangle or Rectangle, it could require that both of
those classes implement a getArea() method
▪ Abstract methods only contain declarations but no
implementations
› Any class that contains an abstract method must be declared abstract
▪ Abstract classes cannot be instantiated since not all of the methods
have implementations
▪ Any class that inherits from an abstract class must implement all of
the abstract methods or declare itself abstract
› When a class implements an abstract method, it is said to override that
method

• Abstract Classes USC CSCI 201L 3/11


Abstract Class Example
1 abstract class Parent {
2 public abstract int meth1();
3 public int meth2() {
4 return 10;
5 }
6 }
7
8 class Child extends Parent {
9 public int meth1() {
10 return 20;
11 }
12 }
13 public class Test {
14 public static void main(String [] args) {
15 Child c = new Child();
16 System.out.println(c.meth1());
17 System.out.println(c.meth2());
18 Parent p = new Parent();
19 System.out.println(p.meth1());
20 System.out.println(p.meth2());
21 }
22 }

• Abstract Classes USC CSCI 201L 4/11


Abstract Class Example
1 abstract class Parent {
2 public abstract int meth1();
3 public int meth2() {
4 return 10;
5 }
6 }
7
8 class Child extends Parent {
9 public int meth1() {
10 return 20;
11 }
12 }
13 public class Test {
14 public static void main(String [] args) {
15 Child c = new Child();
16 System.out.println(c.meth1());
17 System.out.println(c.meth2());
18 Parent p = new Child();
19 System.out.println(p.meth1());
20 System.out.println(p.meth2());
21 }
22 }

• Abstract Classes USC CSCI 201L 5/11


Outline
• Abstract Classes
• Interfaces

USC CSCI 201L


Interfaces
▪ An interface is similar to a class, but there are no
method implementations in it (not even inherited)
▪ When a class implements an interface, it must
implement all of the methods in the interface
› If it doesn’t implement all of the methods, it has then inherited an abstract
method, so the class must be declared abstract
▪ A class can implement as many interfaces as it wants
› This is how Java deals with supporting something similar to multiple
inheritance
› This is different than multiple inheritance though. How?
• If the same method is inherited from more than one interface, there is no implementation,
so there is no confusion
▪ If interfaces inherit from other interfaces, they will extend them

• Interfaces USC CSCI 201L 7/11


Multiple Inheritance and Interfaces
▪ In C++, we had a problem with multiple inheritance when
the same function was implemented in two different
branches of the hierarchy
Telephone Email_Reader
make_call() read_email() Which send_email() function
send_email() send_email() gets called when you call it on an
instance of IPhone?

IPhone IPhone ip;


buy_app() ip.send_email();

It doesn’t matter which one gets called if the Telephone


and Email_Reader classes only contained function
definitions and the only implementation was in IPhone

• Interfaces USC CSCI 201L 8/11


Interface Example
1 interface Parent {
2 public abstract int meth1();
3 public int meth2();
4 }
5
6 abstract class Child implements Parent {
7 public int meth1() {
8 return 20;
18 public class Test {
9 }
19 public static void main(String [] args) {
10 } 20 GrandChild gc = new GrandChild();
11 21 System.out.println(gc.meth1());
12 class GrandChild extends Child { 22 System.out.println(gc.meth2());
13 public int meth2() { 23 Child c = new Child();
24 System.out.println(c.meth1());
14 return 30;
25 System.out.println(c.meth2());
15 } 26 }
16 } 27 }
17

• Interfaces USC CSCI 201L 9/11


Interface Example
1 interface Parent {
2 public abstract int meth1();
3 public int meth2();
4 }
5
6 abstract class Child implements Parent {
7 public int meth1() {
8 return 20;
18 public class Test {
9 }
19 public static void main(String [] args) {
10 } 20 GrandChild gc = new GrandChild();
11 21 System.out.println(gc.meth1());
12 class GrandChild extends Child { 22 System.out.println(gc.meth2());
13 public int meth2() { 23 Child c = new GrandChild();
24 System.out.println(c.meth1());
14 return 30;
25 System.out.println(c.meth2());
15 } 26 }
16 } 27 }
17

• Interfaces USC CSCI 201L 10/11


Interface Example
1 interface Parent {
2 public abstract int meth1();
3 public int meth2();
4 }
5
6 abstract class Child implements Parent {
7 public int meth1() {
8 return 20;
18 public class Test {
9 }
19 public static void main(String [] args) {
10 } 20 GrandChild gc = new GrandChild();
11 21 System.out.println(gc.meth1());
12 class GrandChild extends Child { 22 System.out.println(gc.meth2());
13 public int meth2() { 23 Parent p = new GrandChild();
24 System.out.println(p.meth1());
14 return 30;
25 System.out.println(p.meth2());
15 } 26 }
16 } 27 }
17

• Interfaces USC CSCI 201L 11/11

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