Table of contents
Introduction
OOP (Object-Oriented Programming) is a way of writing computer programs that focuses on creating "objects". These objects each have their own set of properties and behaviors and can interact with each other to perform tasks. Understanding OOP concepts enables programmers to write more organized, reusable, and modular code.
Basic OOP Concepts
There are four main concepts in OOP:
Encapsulation: This refers to the process of hiding the internal details of an object and keeping it private. Once an object is encapsulated, its data and methods are protected and cannot be modified by other parts of the program. This can help to prevent bugs and other security issues.
Inheritance: This concept allows for the creation of a new object which is based on an existing object. This new object gets to inherit all the properties and methods of its parent object. Using this concept can help to reduce the amount of code to be written, as existing code can be reused.
Polymorphism: This allows objects of different classes to be treated as if they were the same type of object, by using a common interface or base class. For example, you can have a “Vehicle” object, with subclasses for “Cars”, “Trucks”, and “Motorcycles”. By putting all of these in an object called “Vehicles”, one method can be implemented differently by each subclass.
Abstraction: This is the process of creating a simplified model of an object by focusing only on its essential features, and ignoring the non-essential ones. This allows for greater clarity and simplicity in the code, and can also help reduce the complexity of the code and improve its maintainability.