What is the purpose of an abstract class and an interface in Java?
Hey Joe
To answer your question, An abstract class, as a foundational blueprint, may contain both complete methods (with defined behavior) and abstract methods (without any implementation). It’s designed to be extended by subclasses which then provide concrete implementations for these abstract methods. Conversely, an interface exclusively declares method signatures without any inherent behavior. When a class implements an interface, it’s mandated to provide concrete implementations for all of the interface’s methods, ensuring adherence to a specific set of actions.
Furthermore, while a class can extend only one abstract class, it can implement multiple interfaces, offering more flexibility in designing object-oriented systems. In essence, while abstract classes couple functionality with hierarchy, interfaces provide a modular and flexible way to define capabilities without dictating the inheritance structure.