Definition:
"An interface in object-oriented programming is a collection of abstract methods. It defines a contract for classes that implement it, specifying the methods that must be present in those classes. Unlike classes, an interface doesn't provide any implementation for the methods; it only declares their signatures. Classes that implement an interface must provide concrete implementations for all the methods declared in the interface."
Key Points:
Abstract Methods:
- "Interfaces consist of abstract methods, which are methods without a body. These methods serve as a blueprint for any class that implements the interface."
Contract:
- "An interface establishes a contract between the interface and the implementing classes. It specifies what methods the implementing classes must have, but it doesn't dictate how these methods should be implemented."
Multiple Inheritance:
- "One significant advantage of interfaces is that a class can implement multiple interfaces. This supports a form of multiple inheritance, allowing a class to inherit the method signatures from multiple sources."
Example:
- "For instance, consider an interface
Drawable
with a methoddraw()
. Any class that implements this interface must provide its own implementation of thedraw()
method. This ensures a consistent way of drawing for various objects."
- "For instance, consider an interface
Use in Programming:
- "Interfaces are used to achieve abstraction and ensure code consistency in large codebases."
- "They are crucial in scenarios where multiple classes need to share a common set of methods without having a common base class."
When to Use Interfaces:
- "Use interfaces when you want to define a contract that multiple classes can adhere to without specifying the implementation details."
- "Interfaces are beneficial in scenarios where you want to achieve loose coupling between components in your system."