Summary  
This chapter covers how to use Python’s abstract base classes to define blueprints with abstract methods that enforce interface contracts and require subclasses to implement those methods, enabling consistent, polymorphic object-oriented designs.

General domain of usage  
Payment processing

**Abstract Base Classes (ABCs)** are a powerful tool in Python for designing **flexible and robust object-oriented systems**. They help create **maintainable code** by defining clear **contracts** that subclasses must follow.

from abc import ABC, abstractmethod

class PaymentMethod(ABC):
    @abstractmethod
    def pay(self, amount):
        pass


class CreditCard(PaymentMethod):
    def pay(self, amount):
        return f"Paid {amount} using Credit Card"


class PayPal(PaymentMethod):
    def pay(self, amount):
        return f"Paid {amount} using PayPal"


def process_payment(method: PaymentMethod, amount):
    return method.pay(amount)


print(process_payment(CreditCard(), 100))
print(process_payment(PayPal(), 250))

`PaymentMethod` is an **abstract base class**. It defines a required method, `pay`, that every payment type must implement. `CreditCard` and `PayPal` are concrete subclasses. They provide their own versions of the `pay` method, but follow the same interface.

The function `process_payment` works with **any** payment method because it relies on the shared abstract contract, not on specific classes.

Note

What is the key difference between an abstract class and a concrete class?

Learn how to build clean, secure, and scalable applications with Object-Oriented Programming in Python. Cover the fundamentals of classes and objects, then moves into advanced concepts such as inheritance, composition, polymorphism, and encapsulation. With clear explanations and practical examples, you'll develop the ability to design Python programs that are powerful, maintainable, and ready for real-world use.

Learn the core building blocks of object-oriented programming in Python. This section covers classes, objects, methods, and variables, giving you a solid base to understand how OOP organizes and structures code.

Explore how classes can share and extend functionality. You'll learn different inheritance patterns, from simple hierarchies to multiple inheritance and abstract classes, and see how they enable code reuse and scalability.

Discover how to build flexible systems by combining objects. Instead of relying only on inheritance, you'll see how composition lets you assemble behaviors in a modular, adaptable way.

Understand how different objects can share a common interface while behaving in their own way. This section shows how method overriding, interfaces, and protocols make your code more dynamic and reusable.

Learn how to safeguard internal data and control access to class attributes. You'll explore private attributes, getters and setters, and data-hiding techniques that keep your classes secure and maintainable.

Abstract Classes and Blueprints