ASP.NET - imp query !

What is abstract class & interface?when we use abstract class and interface?

Hi

Abstract classes are one of the essential behaviors provided by .NET. Commonly, you would like to make classes that only represent base classes, and don't want anyone to create objects of these class types. You can make use of abstract classes to implement such functionality in C# using the modifier 'abstract'.

An abstract class means that, no object of this class can be instantiated, but can make derivations of this.

An Interface is a reference type and it contains only abstract members. Interface's members can be Events, Methods, Properties and Indexers. But the interface contains only declaration for its members. Any implementation must be placed in class that realizes them. The interface can't contain constants, data fields, constructors, destructors and static members. All the member declarations inside interface are implicitly public. 


Hope this helps you..  

What is an Abstract Class?
 

An abstract class is a special kind of class that cannot be instantiated. So the question is why we need a class that cannot be instantiated? An abstract class is only to be sub-classed (inherited from). In other words, it only allows other classes to inherit from it but cannot be instantiated. The advantage is that it enforces certain hierarchies for all the subclasses. In simple words, it is a kind of contract that forces all the subclasses to carry on the same hierarchies or standards.

What is an Interface?
An interface is not a class. It is an entity that is defined by the word Interface. An interface has no implementation; it only has the signature or in other words, just the definition of the methods without the body. As one of the similarities to Abstract class, it is a contract that is used to define hierarchies for all subclasses or it defines specific set of methods and their arguments. The main difference between them is that a class can implement more than one interface but can only inherit from one abstract class. Since C# doesn?t support multiple inheritance, interfaces are used to implement multiple inheritance.

For more detail follow this link--

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/cs/abstractsvsinterfaces.aspx

I hope this will help you.

hi,

An Abstract class without any implementation just looks like an Interface; however there are lot of differences than similarities between an Abstract class and an Interface. Let's explain both concepts and compare their similarities and differences.

What is an Abstract Class?

An abstract class is a special kind of class that cannot be instantiated. So the question is why we need a class that cannot be instantiated? An abstract class is only to be sub-classed (inherited from). In other words, it only allows other classes to inherit from it but cannot be instantiated. The advantage is that it enforces certain hierarchies for all the subclasses. In simple words, it is a kind of contract that forces all the subclasses to carry on the same hierarchies or standards.

What is an Interface?

An interface is not a class. It is an entity that is defined by the word Interface. An interface has no implementation; it only has the signature or in other words, just the definition of the methods without the body. As one of the similarities to Abstract class, it is a contract that is used to define hierarchies for all subclasses or it defines specific set of methods and their arguments. The main difference between them is that a class can implement more than one interface but can only inherit from one abstract class. Since C# doesn't support multiple inheritance, interfaces are used to implement multiple inheritance.

Both Together

When we create an interface, we are basically creating a set of methods without any implementation that must be overridden by the implemented classes. The advantage is that it provides a way for a class to be a part of two classes: one from inheritance hierarchy and one from the interface.

When we create an abstract class, we are creating a base class that might have one or more completed methods but at least one or more methods are left uncompleted and declared abstract. If all the methods of an abstract class are uncompleted then it is same as an interface. The purpose of an abstract class is to provide a base class definition for how a set of derived classes will work and then allow the programmers to fill the implementation in the derived classes

Here are some good links on this
http://download.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/IandI/abstract.html
http://www.codeproject.com/KB/cs/abstractsvsinterfaces.aspx

Hope this will help you

Hi

we use abstract class and interface if

1. If you do not have any default implementation then go for Interfaces. If you have any default or standard code for the methods then go for Abstract class as it can accept partial implementation.
2. In future if you plan to inherit from multiple inheritance then go for interface. Abstract class do not allow multiple implementation.
3. If you want to restrict the accessbility of the methods that is defined then go for Abstract class as it can contain access modifiers for the subs, functions, properties.

Abstract Class vs Interface

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.

 

hi,

Abstract Class

• Cannot be instantiated.
• Must be inherited and its methods should be overridden.
• It have some concreate methods.
• Access modifiers allowed.

Interface

• Have definition of a method not implementation. (implement through class)
• Multiple inheritance possible through Interface only
• Only Public Access modifier only allowed. Defaultly Public
• No need of virtual overridden.
• It’s used for to define a set of properties, methods and events.

here are on good link on this
http://download.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/IandI/abstract.html

Hope this will help you

Interface:

–> If your child classes should all implement a certain group of methods/functionalities but each of the child classes is free to provide its own implementation then use interfaces.

For e.g. if you are implementing a class hierarchy for vehicles implement an interface called Vehicle which has properties like Colour MaxSpeed etc. and methods like Drive(). All child classes like Car Scooter AirPlane SolarCar etc. should derive from this base interface but provide a seperate implementation of the methods and properties exposed by Vehicle.

–> If you want your child classes to implement multiple unrelated functionalities in short multiple inheritance use interfaces.

For e.g. if you are implementing a class called SpaceShip that has to have functionalities from a Vehicle as well as that from a UFO then make both Vehicle and UFO as interfaces and then create a class SpaceShip that implements both Vehicle and UFO .

Abstract Classes

–> When you have a requirement where your base class should provide default implementation of certain methods whereas other methods should be open to being overridden by child classes use abstract classes.

For e.g. again take the example of the Vehicle class above. If we want all classes deriving from Vehicle to implement the Drive() method in a fixed way whereas the other methods can be overridden by child classes. In such a scenario we implement the Vehicle class as an abstract class with an implementation of Drive while leave the other methods / properties as abstract so they could be overridden by child classes.

–> The purpose of an abstract class is to provide a common definition of a base class that multiple derived classes can share.

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.

Abstract class contains private members also we can put some methods with implementation also.
But in case of interface only methods and properties allowed.

Interface:

–> If your child classes should all implement a certain group of methods/functionalities but each of the child classes is free to provide its own implementation then use interfaces.

For e.g. if you are implementing a class hierarchy for vehicles implement an interface called Vehicle which has properties like Colour MaxSpeed etc. and methods like Drive(). All child classes like Car Scooter AirPlane SolarCar etc. should derive from this base interface but provide a seperate implementation of the methods and properties exposed by Vehicle.

–> If you want your child classes to implement multiple unrelated functionalities in short multiple inheritance use interfaces.

For e.g. if you are implementing a class called SpaceShip that has to have functionalities from a Vehicle as well as that from a UFO then make both Vehicle and UFO as interfaces and then create a class SpaceShip that implements both Vehicle and UFO .

Abstract Classes

–> When you have a requirement where your base class should provide default implementation of certain methods whereas other methods should be open to being overridden by child classes use abstract classes.

For e.g. again take the example of the Vehicle class above. If we want all classes deriving from Vehicle to implement the Drive() method in a fixed way whereas the other methods can be overridden by child classes. In such a scenario we implement the Vehicle class as an abstract class with an implementation of Drive while leave the other methods / properties as abstract so they could be overridden by child classes.

–> The purpose of an abstract class is to provide a common definition of a base class that multiple derived classes can share.

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.

Abstract class contains private members also we can put some methods with implementation also.
But in case of interface only methods and properties allowed.

Interfaces are essentially having all method prototypes no definition but Abstract class can contain method definations also.

In short Interface is a abstract class having all methods abstract.

Both abstract classes and interfaces are used when there is a difference in behaviour among the sub-types extending the abstract class or implementing the interface.

When the sub-types behaviour is totally different then you use an interface, when the sub-types behaviour is partially common and different with respect to the supertype an abstract class is used. In an abstract class the partially common behaviour is given a concrete implementation. Since there is no common behaviour between an interface and a sub-type an interface does not have an implementation for any of its behaviour.

If you create a abstract class writing the abstract keyword in the declaration part then You only can inherit the class. You can not create an instance of this abstract class but can inherit the class and with creating the instance of the derived class you can access the method of the abstract class.

If you use a virtual keyword in a method then you can override this method in the subclass if you wish..

If you create a abstract method then you must override this method in the subclass other wise it shows error in the program.


the most real time example of abstract class and interface is bulding a house
1)concrete methods are explained with completed house.
2)abstract classes are explained with completed house but a little bit of work left
3)interfaces are explained with taking a building plan