Glossary

Abstract base class
A Base Class that is not directly usable by itself, but which defines the common properties of several subclasses. Example: the class MMTK.ChemicalObjects.ChemicalObject is an abstract base class which defines the common properties of its subclasses MMTK.ChemicalObjects.Atom, MMTK.ChemicalObjects.Group, MMTK.ChemicalObjects.Molecule, MMTK.ChemicaObjects.Complex, and MMTK.ChemicalObjects.AtomCluster. A Mix-in class is a special kind of abstract base class.
Base class
A class from which another class inherits. In most cases, the inheriting class is a specialization of the base class. For example, the class MMTK.ChemicalObjects.Molecule is a base class of MMTK.Proteins.PeptideChain, because peptide chains are special molecules. Another common application is the Abstract base class.
Mix-in class
A class that is used as a Base class in other classes with the sole intention of providing methods that are common to these classes. Mix-in classes cannot be used to create instances. They are a special kind of Abstract base class. Example: class MMTK.Collections.GroupOfAtoms.
Subclass
A class that has another class as its Base class. The subclass is usually a specialization of the base class, and can use all of the methods defined in the base class. Example: class MMTK.Proteins.Residue is a subclass of MMTK.ChemicalObjects.Group.

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