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
Data abstraction refers to the process of simplifying complex real-world entities into manageable representations by focusing on their essential characteristics while hiding unnecessary details.
Related terms
Encapsulation: Encapsulation is an object-oriented programming concept that combines data (attributes) and methods (functions) into objects while hiding internal implementation details from external users.
Inheritance: Inheritance is an object-oriented programming mechanism where one class inherits properties and behaviors from another class. It promotes code reuse and hierarchical organization of classes.
Polymorphism: Polymorphism allows objects of different types to be treated as objects of a common superclass. It enables flexibility and extensibility in programming by allowing different implementations of methods with the same name.