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In PHP, an abstract class is a class that cannot be instantiated on its own and is meant to be subclassed by other classes. It serves as a blueprint for other classes, defining common properties and methods that should be shared by its subclasses. Abstract classes are useful when you want to provide a common structure for a group of related classes but don't want instances of the abstract class itself.
Here are key concepts and use cases to help you understand the use of abstract classes in PHP:
abstract class Animal { // Abstract method (to be implemented by subclasses) abstract public function makeSound(); // Regular method (can have an implementation) public function sleep() { echo "Zzz..."; } }
abstract
keyword and do not contain a method body.class Dog extends Animal { // Implementation of the abstract method public function makeSound() { echo "Woof!"; } // Additional methods specific to the Dog class public function fetch() { echo "Fetching the ball..."; } }
// You cannot create an instance of an abstract class // $animal = new Animal(); // This will result in an error // Instantiate a subclass $dog = new Dog(); // Call methods from the abstract class $dog->sleep(); // Output: Zzz... // Call the abstract method implemented in the subclass $dog->makeSound(); // Output: Woof! // Call additional methods specific to the subclass $dog->fetch(); // Output: Fetching the ball...
Common Interface:
Code Reusability:
Enforcement of Method Implementation:
Flexibility and Extensibility:
Partial Implementation:
Remember that abstract classes can't be instantiated, and any class containing at least one abstract method must also be declared as abstract. Understanding the use of abstract classes becomes particularly valuable when dealing with complex class hierarchies and when you want to establish a common structure among related classes in your PHP application.
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