What is Object-oriented Programming?

Programming languages come in all shapes and forms. To be more specific, there are programming languages to create almost any software imaginable, each having its own rules and methods. Today we will discuss a popular time of programming language that has been making its way into the modern software development scene. What is object-oriented programming? How does it work? What are OOP's advantages and disadvantages? Find out the answers to these questions and much more in today's detailed and informative blog post.

Updated: 14 Dec, 21 by Antoniy Yushkevych 11 Min

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In the world of software development, there are many types of programming languages, including object-oriented programming. But what is it? It is a program that has traditionally been considered a logical process that takes data in, processes it, and then outputs it. You know that computer-programming language is very important. It is a complicated thing to create. Therefore, all the techniques that help to simplify it are very useful. For years, the primary goal of programming language developers has been to build a computer language, which is as close to our real world and human language as possible. Currently, there are numerous programming languages to choose from. 

Let us get acquainted with one style or way of organizing programs. That is Object-oriented programming. In this type of programming, everything is represented as an object. So it is also known as object-oriented programming, a programming style that makes use of object technology. If procedural, modular, and other programming styles were popular in the past, object-oriented programming is currently the preferred method.

 

Object-oriented programming (OOP) is a programming paradigm that revolves around the concept of "objects," which might be data or code. Data is represented by fields (also known as attributes or properties), while code is represented by procedures (often referred to as methods). This system allows programmers to abstract away things by creating objects in code. It is a collection of principles for programming that provides an idea for writing a program. Structured programming was the most prevalent approach to organize programs for many years. 

In this programming, Complex programming blocks are divided down into multiple smaller blocks. Because structured programming feels more difficult. OOP was created to avoid this type of programming. Many prominent programming languages (including C++, Java, Python, and others) are multi-paradigm and support object-oriented programming to some level.

 

When a program is changed, it is impossible to manage the flow of code. There are many applications that use the same variable; thus, it's quite risky when the program grows. The algorithm is linked to data since it is unable to save human and system resources. As a result, as the data changes, the algorithm must update as well. It is not secure since undisclosed data must be used. A new approach, object-oriented programming, has been created to solve these restrictions for solving huge problems.

OOP's key components are classes and objects. The distinction between classes and objects is frequently misunderstood. Let us examine what they are.

 

Object

People, phones, computers, and other objects are examples of objects in OOP. Each of these objects has its own set of properties and methods. Objects are things with similar properties, characteristics, and behaviors. An object is made up of two types of data: properties and methods. Methods are the actions that the object may perform, and properties are the objects that express information and attributes of the object. 

One of an object's characteristics is that its processes have access to, and regularly modify its data fields. Object-oriented programming (OOP) is a programming technique for creating computer programs that are made up of interconnected objects. The most common OOP languages are class-based, which means that objects, regardless of their declared type, are instances of classes. The information and features of an object are referred to as attributes.

Class

A class is a data type with properties and methods that are predefined. This is the object's abstraction. A class, unlike a regular data type, is an (abstract) unit that consists of a collection of methods and properties. Objects with similar properties are put together to form a class of objects. The object is abstracted into a class. A class, unlike regular data, is made up of attributes and methods. Objects with comparable attributes will be grouped in a class. The template is the primary class. The entities that specifically reflect that template are the main object.

 

Encapsulation

Encapsulation means writing the code of a particular data and the work to be done on that particular data and keeping it in a unit and a bundle. When a program is written and coded, it essentially holds data and performs some processing on it. In the real world, all programs have a greater quantity of data, and work is done on each data. All of the data and code for the work to be done was written in one location in previous programming paradigms. It was tough to write and understand the code as a result. Due to this problem, the risk of accidentally obtaining incorrect data has also grown. 

In the OOP model, encapsulation is used to write the data code and the actions in the data in a unit and a bundle. The number of data in the software, as well as the code for all of that data, is written in distinct units in this manner. The entire software is separated into various parts and modules as a result of this method. You can now manage each module separately. Because all of the models are independent of one another, any changes to one will not affect the others. It makes writing, managing, analyzing, and testing programs much easier.

Data hiding

Data Hiding refers to the process of concealing and protecting data utilized in software from the outside world. As a result, incorrect information can enter the data, causing the software to malfunction. Data encapsulation is used to hide information. As previously stated, every piece of data, as well as groups of linked data, is included within a unit and module. This module establishes a limit. This border is created around the data in such a way that the data is kept safe within the module and unit. Private and public data can be declared within the unit. When data is declared public, it can be accessed by other modules. Declaring data as private prevents access to it from being accessed from outside the module.

Inheritance

It enables the creation of a new class from existing class definitions. This means that data and methods can be shared between the parent and child classes. It is not necessary to redefine subclasses. They can extend and add new components to the inherited components. Make the most of the source code by repurposing it. 

Polymorphism

Polymorphism refers to an object's ability to behave differently based on its location. It is a programming concept that applies to functions and methods. It indicates that depending on where the function is invoked, a function and method will behave differently. As a result, an action can be carried out in a variety of ways. This is a key element of object-oriented programming that can be said to contain the majority of its power. It's also a concept in which two or more classes can have the same methods but implement them differently.

Abstraction

Abstraction refers to the process of generalizing something without paying attention to the specifics. It makes no difference what the details are on the inside; people understand it every time they hear about it. In OOP programming, abstraction refers to the process of selecting the attributes and methods of an object that are required to solve the task. Because an object has several method attributes, it is not required to select all of them for a specific task.

 

As the program's data rises, complexity increases. Large program codes are extremely difficult to explain and maintain. Object-oriented programming, on the other hand, attempts to avoid this issue by constructing a small object network. Objects are much smaller than a full-fledged program. Although small, they have their specific responsibilities. 

Therefore, they can be easily completed. Finally, all the objects work together in the whole system. In this way, a complex system is easily formed with the help of materials. For example, if a vehicle is designed as a single machine, it is a very complex task. Even after it is built, there will likely be some compliant ones. However, suppose the vehicle is divided into smaller parts such as wheels, pedals, doors, etc. In that case, it will be easier to design them separately, and it will be easier to correct any complaints.

 

Object-oriented programming simplifies the programming process for programmers. The following are some of the benefits that this strategy provides to users:

  • Most of the flaws in previous programming methods have been overcome by the development of object-oriented programming.
  • Furthermore, object-oriented programming inherits the prior method's significant advantages to provide the best object-oriented programming capabilities.
  • You can be confident that the data will not be modified in the program if you use this programming style instead of structured programming.
  • You can easily change the data structure of an object without having to change or affect the source code of other objects.
  • With OOP, you can reuse source code over inheritance, thereby saving resources. It can reuse code in other applications or buy code developed by others to speed up software development.
  • OOP is suitable for large and complex software because it can help to model complex things in terms of simpler structures. It can simply divide the system down into smaller parts for delivery to development teams.
  • With OOP, you can fix errors easily and in less time. Instead of finding errors in many places in the code, programmers can quickly find and fix errors in classes. That is, it can quickly and efficiently maintain and alter programs.
  • OOP has high security so that you can use this programming method with complete peace of mind.
  • The transition from the actual analytical model to the software execution model is simple.
  • Excellent compatibility with existing computer systems.
  • Compatible with today's OS systems.
  • Ability to design user interfaces that are simple and easy to use.
  • Users can easily manage the code after changing the program. The programmer now only needs to alter a few of the component routines rather than the full code.
  • Object-oriented programming is very reusable and secure. It is ideal for putting up complicated or huge software. Object-oriented programming is very easy to learn, productive, and maintain.
  • The data is processed separately; when the data structure changes, it will lead to the algorithm being changed.
  • Object-oriented programming does not automatically initialize and release dynamic data and thus does not accurately represent the actual system.

 

The information shown here is general knowledge about object-oriented programming methodologies. To better understand it, you must devote more time to researching and learning more about it. We hope that the information in this article has provided you with a better understanding of OOP.

Antoniy Yushkevych

Antoniy Yushkevych

Master of word when it comes to technology, internet and privacy. I'm also your usual guy that always aims for the best result and takes a skateboard to work. If you need me, you will find me at the office's Counter-Strike championships on Fridays or at a.yushkevych@monovm.com