◄Up► ◄Contents► ◄Index► ◄Back► ─────C/C++ Language───────────────────────────────────────────────────────── An abstract class is a class that contains at least one pure virtual function. Specify a virtual function as pure by placing = 0 at the end of its declaration. You don't have to supply a definition for a pure virtual function. You cannot declare an instance of an abstract base class; you can use it only as a base class when declaring other classes. In the following program, draw() is a pure virtual function defined in the abstract class Shape. You cannot declare Shape objects. Shape acts as a base class for Rectangle and Circle. Rectangle and Circle provide definitions for draw(), so you can declare instances of those classes and call draw() for them. #include <iostream.h> class Shape { public: virtual void draw() = 0; }; class Rectangle: public Shape { public: void draw(); }; class Circle : public Shape { public: void draw(); }; -♦-