What are some use cases for abstract base classes in Python?

What are some use cases for abstract base classes in Python?

Abstract Base Classes (ABCs) in Python are used to define common interfaces for a group of related classes. They help enforce a contract for subclasses.

Can you give me an example of how to implement an abstract base class?

Sure! You can use the abc module. Here's a simple example:

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'

What are the benefits of using ABCs over regular classes?

Using ABCs allows for better code organization, enforces a consistent interface, and helps catch errors at the design stage by ensuring subclasses implement required methods.

Are there any performance implications when using abstract base classes?

Generally, the performance impact is minimal. The main overhead comes from the additional checks for method implementation, but this is usually negligible compared to the benefits of code clarity and maintainability.