1 | initial version |
In Python, there is no direct way to differentiate between an abstract method and an abstract attribute because both are represented using the same abstractmethod
decorator.
However, we can infer the difference between these two based on their usage and implementation.
Abstract methods are used to define a prototype for a method that must be implemented by any class that inherits from the abstract class. Abstract methods are indicated by the abstractmethod
decorator above the method definition. For example:
from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
class Example(ABC):
@abstractmethod
def my_method(self):
pass
Here, my_method
is an abstract method.
On the other hand, abstract attributes are used to define a prototype for an attribute that must be implemented by any class that inherits from the abstract class. Abstract attributes are also indicated by the abstractmethod
decorator, but the implementation of the abstract attribute is left to the subclasses. For example:
from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
class Example(ABC):
@abstractmethod
def my_attribute(self):
pass
Here, my_attribute
is an abstract attribute.
In summary, abstract methods define a prototype for a method that subclasses must implement, while abstract attributes define a prototype for an attribute that subclasses must provide an implementation for.