Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Abstraction is the process of simplifying complex systems by focusing on essential features while hiding unnecessary details. It allows programmers to work with high-level concepts without worrying about implementation specifics.
OOP is a programming paradigm that uses abstraction as one of its core principles. It enables developers to model real-world entities as objects with well-defined behaviors and attributes.
An interface defines a contract for how a class should behave, specifying a set of methods that must be implemented. It allows for abstraction by separating the definition from the implementation, enabling different classes to provide their own implementations.
Polymorphism refers to the ability of an object to take on many forms. In programming, it allows objects of different classes to be treated as instances of a common superclass or interface, providing flexibility and extensibility.