From 32090679c2a6a79933fa94f36a7dcddd22a20897 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Andrew Gallasch Date: Sat, 28 Oct 2017 16:09:07 +1030 Subject: Improve comments on abstract classes --- java.html.markdown | 27 ++++++++++++++------------- 1 file changed, 14 insertions(+), 13 deletions(-) diff --git a/java.html.markdown b/java.html.markdown index 73e4bd2e..621d500c 100644 --- a/java.html.markdown +++ b/java.html.markdown @@ -703,15 +703,21 @@ public class ExampleClass extends ExampleClassParent implements InterfaceOne, // // Method declarations // } -// Marking a class as abstract means that it contains at least one abstract -// method that must be defined in a child class. Similar to interfaces, abstract -// classes cannot be instantiated, but instead must be extended and the abstract -// methods defined. Different from interfaces, abstract classes can contain a -// mixture of concrete and abstract methods. Methods in an interface cannot -// have a body, unless the method is static, and variables are final by default, -// unlike an abstract class. Also abstract classes CAN have the "main" method. +// Abstract Classes cannot be instantiated. +// Abstract classes may define abstract methods. +// Abstract methods have no body and are marked abstract +// Non-abstract child classes must @Override all abstract methods +// from their super-classes. +// Abstract classes can be useful when combining repetitive logic +// with customised behavior, but as Abstract classes require +// inheritance, they violate "Composition over inheritance" +// so consider other approaches using composition. +// https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composition_over_inheritance + public abstract class Animal { + private int age; + public abstract void makeSound(); // Method can have a body @@ -722,17 +728,12 @@ public abstract class Animal age = 30; } - // No need to initialize, however in an interface - // a variable is implicitly final and hence has - // to be initialized. - private int age; - public void printAge() { System.out.println(age); } - // Abstract classes can have main function. + // Abstract classes can have main method. public static void main(String[] args) { System.out.println("I am abstract"); -- cgit v1.2.3