'\"
'\" Copyright (c) 2018 Donal K. Fellows
'\"
'\" See the file "license.terms" for information on usage and redistribution
'\" of this file, and for a DISCLAIMER OF ALL WARRANTIES.
'\"
.TH abstract n 0.3 TclOO "TclOO Commands"
.so man.macros
.BS
'\" Note:  do not modify the .SH NAME line immediately below!
.SH NAME
oo::abstract \- A class that does not allow direct instances of itself
.SH SYNOPSIS
.nf
\fBpackage require tcl::oo\fR

\fBoo::abstract\fI method \fR?\fIarg ...\fR?
.fi
.SH "CLASS HIERARCHY"
.nf
\fBoo::object\fR
   \(-> \fBoo::class\fR
       \(-> \fBoo::abstract\fR
.fi
.BE
.SH DESCRIPTION
Abstract classes are classes that can contain definitions, but which cannot be
directly manufactured; they are intended to only ever be inherited from and
instantiated indirectly. The characteristic methods of \fBoo::class\fR
(\fBcreate\fR and \fBnew\fR) are not exported by an instance of
\fBoo::abstract\fR.
.PP
Note that \fBoo::abstract\fR is not itself an instance of \fBoo::abstract\fR.
.SS CONSTRUCTOR
The \fBoo::abstract\fR class does not define an explicit constructor; this
means that it is effectively the same as the constructor of the
\fBoo::class\fR class.
.SS DESTRUCTOR
The \fBoo::abstract\fR class does not define an explicit destructor;
destroying an instance of it is just like destroying an ordinary class (and
will destroy all its subclasses).
.SS "EXPORTED METHODS"
The \fBoo::abstract\fR class defines no new exported methods.
.SS "NON-EXPORTED METHODS"
The \fBoo::abstract\fR class explicitly states that \fBcreate\fR,
\fBcreateWithNamespace\fR, and \fBnew\fR are unexported.
.SH EXAMPLES
.PP
This example defines a simple class hierarchy and creates a new instance of
it. It then invokes a method of the object before destroying the hierarchy and
showing that the destruction is transitive.
.PP
.CS
\fBoo::abstract\fR create fruit {
    method eat {} {
        puts "yummy!"
    }
}
oo::class create banana {
    superclass fruit
    method peel {} {
        puts "skin now off"
    }
}
set b [banana \fBnew\fR]
$b peel              \fI\(-> prints 'skin now off'\fR
$b eat               \fI\(-> prints 'yummy!'\fR
set f [fruit new]    \fI\(-> error 'unknown method "new"...'\fR
.CE
.SH "SEE ALSO"
oo::define(n), oo::object(n)
.SH KEYWORDS
abstract class, class, metaclass, object
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