Alejandro Programming is not just lines of code on the screen; it is a complete science. Along with great logic, programming follows patterns and conventions, and there are different types of programming.
There is procedural programming, functional programming, and another fundamental type of programming, which is Object-Oriented programming!
The concept of OOP is so critical to mastering the art of coding that it is one of the compulsory courses in all degrees related to Computer Science and Software Engineering!
Today, I will delve deep into the world of “objects” and “classes” to inform you all about the “object-oriented” programming paradigm.
I will be discussing the following crucial aspects:
- What is Object-Oriented Programming?
- Key Concepts in Object-Oriented Programming
- Why use Object-Oriented Programming?
- How to learn Object-Oriented Programming?
As the concept might be daunting for newcomers to understand, I will make sure to keep it simple and use as many examples and analogies as possible to make it more bearable.
What is Object-Oriented Programming?
As the name implies, object-oriented programming is a programming model that is entirely oriented around “objects.”
Now what are objects? The object can be any real-world entity!
One necessary thing to understand is the concept of classes in OOP. Classes define the blueprint for object creation. Meanwhile, an object is an instance of a class using that specific blueprint.
For example, consider “Car,” a class that can be a blueprint for all Car Objects. A “Toyota Corolla” with specific properties will be an instance of this class, hence an Object of the class “Car”.
Each object, or, let’s say, a real-world entity, has these two things!
- Attributes: These are the properties of an object. For example, a car object can have the following attributes:
- Car Model
- Seating Capacity
- Engine Capacity
- Color
- Registration Number
- Methods: These are the actions that can be performed by an object. For example, a car object can comprise the following methods:
- Attributes: These are the properties of an object. For example, a car object can have the following attributes:
- Start Engine
- Move Forward
- Display Information
- Move Backwards
This was a very simplified explanation of making objects and classes. A created object will have specific properties and can perform any of its methods, which are actions that can be performed on it or by it.
Key Concepts in Object-Oriented Programming
The real advantages of using the object-oriented programming language lie in its 4 essential concepts or principles:
#1 Encapsulation
The encapsulation principle means that all closely related data, states, and important information are encapsulated or contained within an object, with very little of it being exposed.
Encapsulation is achieved by declaring certain properties as public, while those that need to be secured are kept private. This enhances data security and prevents data corruption.
Let’s consider the “Car” as an analogy for encapsulation. Public interfaces can be understood as car indicators. This is the information that is shared with the outside world. In contrast, the engine is hidden under the hood; hence, it is private.
The indication of whether we will turn left or right is the information shared with others, but information that is not relevant, such as engine temperature, is not shared publicly!
#2 Inheritance
We all know what inheritance is, right? We inherit certain traits from our parents, and they get some from their parents. That’s exactly how inheritance works in OOP as well!
In object-oriented programming, inheritance lets classes inherit different methods or features from other classes. In other words, child classes get properties (both attributes and methods) of the parent class.
Consider that we have three distinct types of animals: dogs, cats, and cows. Each of them is similar with 4 legs, tails, furry bodies, and similar shapes, but they make different sounds, right? We can create a parent class “Animal,” extend each animal class to this parent class, and give different implementations to the Sound method.
The use of inheritance gives a better structure to the code and helps avoid redundancy in code, hence aligning with the DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) principle of programming.
#3 Abstraction
Visiting a website, you see the beautiful web pages and what they do, but not the complex coding and working on the backend. Well, that’s exactly what Abstraction wants to achieve!
Abstraction means hiding the complexity of code from the end user and showing only what is relevant to them.
This can also be explained by an example of a car. Consider a driver driving the car. He only sees the steering wheel, the dashboard, the accelerator, and the brake when driving. But the intricacies of how braking works, or how a car engine accelerates, are hidden.
#4 Polymorphism
Polymorphism allows a single method to be implemented by different classes; hence, more than one class can use a method of the same name and perform slightly different functions!
This is analogous to a universal remote that can have a turn-on method that can be used by different classes.
Why use Object-Oriented Programming?
A good programmer should always try to make their code better, easier to understand, and more secure.
This is all that OOP can achieve! The following are the benefits you get from using an object-oriented approach:
- It helps in modeling complex problems simply and more understandably.
- Improves the quality of code by adding modularity and preventing redundancy.
- Enhances the security of the system by implementing encapsulation and abstraction.
- Increased flexibility and extensibility through the use of polymorphism.
- It is easier to debug and collaborate.
How to learn Object-Oriented Programming?
Want to master the art of object-oriented programming? Using OOP can make you a better programmer. The concept of object-oriented programming is one of the most frequently asked questions in tech interviews.
How can you learn OOP? Well, start by opting for the right language that has good support for object-oriented programming.
My recommendation would be to go with either Java, Python, or C++. All three of them are popular languages, with abundant resources available online. So if you find you’re stuck somewhere, just Google it up.
The next step would be to start a course on either Udemy, Coursera, or YouTube! Learn through video explanations, understand the concepts in detail, and try coding the examples on your own.
Finally, work on a personal project and try to apply your learnings to something more practical. Following a tutorial can teach you programming, but the true learning lies in implementing something on your own!
