Unlocking the Power of Abstract Classes in C#
What Are Abstract Classes?
In C#, abstract classes are a fundamental concept in object-oriented programming. They allow us to create a blueprint for other classes to follow, without being able to create objects from them directly. To define an abstract class, we use the abstract keyword.
Inheritance and Abstract Classes
Since we can’t create objects from an abstract class, we need to create a derived class that inherits from it. This way, we can access the members of the abstract class using the object of the derived class. For example, let’s create an abstract class Language with a non-abstract method display() and a derived class Program that inherits from it.
The Role of Abstract Methods
An abstract method is a method without a body, defined using the abstract keyword. It can only be present inside an abstract class. When a non-abstract class inherits an abstract class, it must provide an implementation of the abstract methods. Let’s explore an example with an abstract class Animal and a derived class Dog.
Abstract Properties: Get and Set Accessors
We can also mark get and set accessors as abstract, allowing us to define properties that must be implemented by derived classes. For instance, let’s create an abstract class Animal with an abstract property Name and a derived class Dog that implements it.
Constructors and Destructors in Abstract Classes
Abstract classes can have constructors, which are called when an object of the derived class is created. Additionally, we can use destructors inside abstract classes. Let’s examine an example with an abstract class Animal and a derived class Dog.
The Power of Abstraction in C#
Abstraction is a crucial concept in object-oriented programming, allowing us to hide unnecessary details and show only the necessary information. Abstract classes help us achieve abstraction in C#, making it easier to manage complexity. A practical example of abstraction is motorbike brakes, where we know what a brake does, but the working is kept hidden from us.
Practical Example of Abstraction
Let’s create an abstract class MotorBike with an abstract method brake(), and two derived classes SportsBike and MountainBike that implement their own versions of the brake() method. This demonstrates how abstraction allows us to hide implementation details and focus on the essential functionality.