BaseModel

BaseModel is a common base class in object-oriented programming used to provide a uniform interface for data models. It standardizes features such as attribute validation, serialization, and lifecycle hooks.

In practice, BaseModel classes declare fields with types; the base class enforces type hints at runtime, validates incoming data, constructs instances, and offers serialization to dictionaries or JSON, along with deserialization.

In Python, Pydantic's BaseModel is a well-known concrete implementation; it validates data against type hints, supports nested models and complex types, and provides utilities such as dict(), json(), and validators.

Other frameworks use similar base classes for models, such as Django's Model base class, or ORM patterns with a base entity class. The term BaseModel is used generically to denote a foundational data model class across languages.

Design considerations: BaseModel promotes consistency and reusability, but may introduce runtime overhead and coupling to a particular validation/serialization framework. When designing BaseModel subclasses, consider field defaults, optional fields, validation rules, immutability, and serialization format.