How do I implement abstract classes in programming?

What are abstract classes and how do I implement them?

Abstract classes are classes that cannot be instantiated and are meant to be subclassed. They can contain abstract methods that must be implemented by subclasses. To implement an abstract class in Python, you can use the abc module.

Can you show me a code example of an abstract class?

Sure! Here's a simple example in Python:

from abc import ABC, abstractmethod

class Animal(ABC):
    @abstractmethod
    def sound(self):
        pass

class Dog(Animal):
    def sound(self):
        return 'Bark'

class Cat(Animal):
    def sound(self):
        return 'Meow'

In this example, Animal is an abstract class with an abstract method sound. The Dog and Cat classes implement this method.

What happens if I don't implement the abstract method?

If you don't implement the abstract method in a subclass, you'll get a TypeError when you try to instantiate that subclass. Abstract classes enforce a contract for subclasses to follow.

Are there any other programming languages that support abstract classes?

Yes, many programming languages support abstract classes, including Java, C#, and C++. The syntax and implementation details may vary, but the concept remains similar.