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    Good answer. I would add two things. 1) Abstract classes are emulated in Python by creating a class with methods which do nothing but raise NotImplementedError. Such classes can be instantiated but are useless in practice--they are provided as templates for subclasses. Commented Jan 21, 2012 at 4:10
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    2) Python doesn't have native language support for interfaces but are still useful enough for large projects that there are PEPs about them, and Zope created a userspace implementation (example) which is used by Twisted. Commented Jan 21, 2012 at 4:11
  • BTW, an example of an "abstract class" in the Python standard library is asynchat.async_chat. Commented Jan 21, 2012 at 4:16
  • Thanks for the suggestions about interfaces and abstract classes. I actually recall that once I created one with the NotImplementedError. Commented Jan 21, 2012 at 6:12
  • @FrancisAvila the abc module exists for handling abstract base classes a bit more elegantly, but I think most Pythonistas generally just don't bother setting them up at all - it's just that much needless busywork when you can just rely on duck typing. I know that's my feeling on the matter, anyway :) Commented Jan 21, 2012 at 10:56