What is Object-Oriented Programming?
Object-oriented programming (OOP) is a programming paradigm that uses “objects” to model data and methods. This approach to programming simulates real-world objects and their behaviours and interactions. OOP offers several benefits over other approaches to programming, which we will explore in this section.
The Four Pillars of OOP
Object-oriented programming is a programming paradigm that is based on the concepts of objects and classes. Objects are instances of classes, which define their properties and behaviors. In object-oriented programming, programs are typically made up of a combination of objects interacting to form the desired functionality.
The four pillars of object-oriented programming are encapsulation, abstraction, inheritance, and polymorphism. These principles are used to make code more modular, scalable, and maintainable.
Encapsulation is the principle of hiding the implementation details of an object from its users. In other words, it is concerned with the idea of black-boxing an object so that its internals can be changed without affecting its users. This allows for code reuse and makes it easier to change the implementation without breaking existing code.
Abstraction is the process of representing only the essential characteristics of an object while hiding away its underlying details. This allows complex objects to be represented in a simplified way that is easy to understand and use. By abstracting away unnecessary details, code can be written in a more maintainable and reusable way.
Inheritance is the process by which one class can inherit the attributes and behaviors of another class. This allows for code reuse as well as for classes to be extended in order to add new functionality. Inheritance can also be used to create a hierarchy of classes in which each class inherits from a superclass above it in the hierarchy.
Polymorphism is the ability of an object to take on many different forms. In other words, it is the ability of an object to be treated as if it were an instance of multiple different types. Polymorphism allows for code flexibility and easier extensibility as new types can be easily added without affecting existing code.
The Benefits of OOP
Object-oriented programming offers a number of benefits over traditional, procedural programming. These benefits include the following:
- Encapsulation
- Polymorphism
- Inheritance
Each of these concepts will be explored in more detail below.
Encapsulation
Encapsulation is one of the key features of object-oriented programming. It refers to the bundling of code and data into a single unit, known as an “object.” This ensures that code and data are protected from outside interference and modification. Encapsulation also helps to prevent errors, since code and data are less likely to be unintentionally changed when they are encapsulated together.
Polymorphism
Polymorphism is another key feature of object-oriented programming. It refers to the ability of objects to take on multiple forms. This means that an object can be used in multiple ways, depending on how it is invoked. For example, a “Shape” object could be used to represent either a circle or a square. This flexibility makes it easier to reuse code and results in more concise and readable code overall.
Inheritance
Inheritance is another key feature of object-oriented programming. It refers to the ability of objects to inherit characteristics from other objects. This means that an object can inherit both behavior (code) and state (data) from another object. Inheritance provides a way to create new objects that are similar to existing objects, without having to duplicate all of the existing code or data. This reduces complexity and makes it easier to extend or modify existing code
What is truly object oriented programming?
Truly object oriented programming is a methodology that takes the concept of objects and applies it to every aspect of programming. This means that everything in the program is an object, from the data to the functions. This can make your code more organized and easier to understand. However, it can also make your code more complicated. Let’s get into the details.
The Four Pillars of truly object oriented programming
There are four key concepts that are fundamental to truly object oriented programming: abstraction, encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism.
Abstraction is the process of taking something complex and breaking it down into smaller, more manageable parts. In code, this means creating classes that represent real-world objects, and then creating methods that represent the actions that these objects can take.
Encapsulation is the process of hiding the implementation details of an object from the outside world. In code, this means making sure that code outside of a class cannot access or modify the internal data of that class.
Inheritance is the process of creating new classes that are based on existing classes. In code, this means that a new class can inherit the methods and variables of an existing class, allowing it to reuse existing code and adding new functionality on top of it.
Polymorphism is the ability of an object to take on different forms. In code, this means that a single class can have multiple methods with the same name but different implementations.
The benefits of truly object oriented programming
Truly object oriented programming languages offer many benefits over traditional procedural programming languages. With object oriented programming, you can better manage complex codebases, encapsulate data and functionality, and create modular code that is easier to reuse and maintain. In addition, object oriented programming can help you create more reliable and robust software.