Abstract Classes

An abstract class cannot be instantiated. The methods declared in the class have no definition, no code. These are used as place holders in a hierarchy. Think of them as a partial description of the problem. You don't know exactly what it is but you know that all the related child classes have these actions (methods) in common. Kind of a missing link. An abstract class could have data elements that are inherited by the children, but as I said above, that can get confusing.