Interfaces vs. Abstract Classes
Explore the distinctions and appropriate uses of interfaces and abstract classes in modern Java development. Understand how to implement contracts, leverage default methods, avoid common anti-patterns, and use functional interfaces with lambdas. This lesson helps you write modular, maintainable code by applying best practices in object-oriented design.
We'll cover the following...
When designing object-oriented systems, we often need to define contracts for our classes to follow. Historically, the choice between interfaces and abstract classes was based entirely on whether we needed to provide default implementations. Modern Java has evolved significantly, changing how we approach this decision.
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Let’s look at the best practices for using interfaces and abstract classes today.
Why should we generally prefer interfaces over abstract classes when defining types?
What is a skeletal implementation, and how does it combine interfaces and abstract classes?
Let’s look at a custom example of a skeletal implementation: ...