What Is Abstract Class Java?

An abstract class java is like a blueprint for a house. It's the foundation and structure of the house, but it doesn't include any details about what the house will look like or even how many rooms there will be. The idea is that a builder can use this blueprint as a basis for creating specific objects or houses that conform to its protocol—that is, the set of operations it supports. That way, each object can have its unique appearance and layout, but they all have a standard set of features that make them compatible. In Java programming, abstract classes are like your high school sweetheart they're great at first, but they don't work out in the end. While abstract classes may look like they're ready to go on a date, they have a lot more in common with your high school sweetheart than you'd think. Like your high school sweetheart, an abstract class is just a lot of hot air. It's not something you can use or do anything with—it's just there to state what it means to be in that category. Kind of like how if I say, "I'm single," that doesn't mean I'm going out on a date tonight or maybe it does! Perhaps I'm going on five dates tonight! Who knows? Not me! So, an abstract class is useless on its own. It doesn't do anything except tell you what an object needs to be able to do but, if you want to make something that can do those things? You'll need another kind of class called a concrete class (aka "a class that can actually be used"). Abstract classes Java are like a Rubik's cube: they're difficult to solve, but once you get the hang of it, they can be fun. Abstract classes are helpful when creating hierarchies of classes that model reality because they make it possible to specify an invariant level of functionality in some methods but leave the implementation of other methods until a specific performance of that class (a derived class) is needed. This is great for modeling things like trees, where it's hard to predict what kind of data will come down the line and what functions need to be performed on that data when it arrives.