Abstract classes in java are used to define common characteristics and behaviors that can be shared among a group of related classes. An abstract class is a class that cannot be instantiated, which means you cannot create an object of this class directly. Instead, you can create objects of its subclasses that extend the abstract class.
Here are some reasons why we use abstract class in Java:
To define a common base class:
Abstract classes can be used to define a common base class that provides common characteristics and behaviors for a group of related classes. This makes it easy to manage and maintain a large codebase with similar classes.
To enforce contracts:
Abstract classes can define abstract methods that must be implemented by its concrete subclasses. This helps to enforce a contract between the base class and its subclasses, ensuring that each subclass implements the required functionality.
To provide default implementations:
Abstract classes can provide default implementations for some methods, which can be used by its subclasses if they don’t need to override them.
To provide extensibility:
Abstract classes can be extended to provide new functionality, while maintaining the existing functionality of the base class.
To achieve abstraction:
Abstract classes provide a way to achieve abstraction, which is an important principle of object-oriented programming. Abstraction helps to reduce complexity by hiding the implementation details and exposing only the necessary information to the user.