Welcome to the introduction of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP). OOP is a programming paradigm based on the concept of "objects", which can contain data in the form of fields (often known as attributes or properties) and code in the form of procedures (often known as methods).
Key Concepts of OOP
- Class: A blueprint for creating objects. It defines the properties and methods that the objects will have.
- Object: An instance of a class. It represents a real-world entity.
- Encapsulation: Hiding the internal state and functionality of an object from the outside world.
- Inheritance: A way to create new classes that inherit properties and methods from existing classes.
- Polymorphism: The ability of objects of different classes to be treated as objects of a common superclass.
Benefits of OOP
- Modularity: Code is divided into small, manageable parts, making it easier to understand and maintain.
- Reusability: Classes and objects can be reused in different parts of a program or even in different programs.
- Scalability: It’s easier to add new features or make changes to an existing system without affecting other parts.
OOP Diagram
For more information on OOP, you can read our comprehensive guide on OOP Fundamentals.
In the next section, we will dive deeper into classes and objects. Stay tuned! 🚀