Updated May 29, 2023
Introduction to OOP
Object-Oriented Programming (or OOP) is a paradigm of programming in which programs are written and structured around objects rather than functions or logic. Object-Oriented Programming (or OOP) is a paradigm of programming in which programs are written and structured around objects rather than functions or logic. Object procedures can access and modify data in an object.
There are many OOP languages, with the most popular being class-based, where objects will be an instance of a class. A class is a container for data and procedures, also known as data members and member functions. Let us consider an example of an object as a car. A car has attributes like color, brand name, fuel capacity, etc., and it has methods to represent the behavior of a car, like a start, acceleration, break, etc. A class serves as a blueprint of attributes and methods and does not occupy space until an object for that class is instantiated.
Example:
class car
{
char name[20]; // name and colour are attributes
char colour[20];
public void start(){} //start is a method
};
void main()
{
car c1; //c1 is an object
}
In detail, we will see the object-oriented programming targets to implement in real-world programming entities like inheritance, polymorphism, encapsulation, etc. The main objective of OOP is to collectively bind data and the functions that operate on them such that this data is accessible only by that function.
Principles of OOP
The four main principles of object-oriented programming are encapsulation, abstraction, inheritance, and polymorphism.
1. Encapsulation
The binding of data and methods into a single unit is called encapsulation. Encapsulation is accomplished when each object inside the class keeps its state private. The data inside this unit is not accessible by outside objects, and only those functions inside it can access it. Thus, the object manages its state with the help of its methods and communicates with this object; we will require the help of the public methods of this class.
2. Abstraction
Abstraction is an extension of encapsulation. It means providing only the necessary information to the outside world while hiding the internal details of implementation. It reveals only the appropriate operations for other objects. The advantage of this is that we can change the implementation without affecting the class, as the method interface remains the same.
Let us take the example of a calculator, which takes the input from us, and at the press of a button, gives us the desired output while sparing us the internal details of how it has arrived at that answer.
3. Inheritance
Often, objects are similar in functionality, sharing part of the logic but differing in the rest. So how do we reuse the common logic and separate the different logic? This can be achieved by inheritance. Inheritance involves creating a child class derived from a parent class, thereby establishing a hierarchy of classes. The child class reuses the data fields and methods required from the parent class and implements its unique functionality on its own.
For example, a vehicle can be a parent class, from which we can derive child classes like Bike and Car. They share the common properties of running on fuel and carrying passengers but differ in the number of passengers they can carry and more such properties.
4. Polymorphism
Polymorphism is the ability to take more than one form. For example, suppose we have a parent class and a few of its child classes. Now we want to use attributes from parent and child classes, so how will it be achieved? Polymorphism enables achieving this goal. In polymorphism, abstract entities can be executed in multiple ways. It gives a way to consume a class exactly like the parent class, so there is no confusion with mixing the type of classes, and each child class continues to keep its methods as they were. This can be done by reusing a parent interface so the child class can implement these methods in their version.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Object-Oriented Programming
Below are the advantages and disadvantages
Advantages
Below are the advantages:
- The concept of treating everything in OOP as an object allows for the demonstration of real-world ideas.
- As we use the concept of encapsulation, programs are easier to test and maintain.
- Developing classes in parallel rather than sequentially allows for faster code development.
- OOP provides greater security due to data abstraction. The outside world cannot access the hidden data.
- Reusability can be achieved by using classes that have already been written.
Disadvantages
Below are the disadvantages:
- Designing a program with an OOP concept can be tricky.
- A programmer needs to plan for developing a program in OOP.
- The size of programs developed with OOP is more significant than those developed with a procedural approach.
- Since OOP programs are larger, the execution time for these programs is also more.
How can Knowledge of OOP help in Career Growth?
Many significant trending languages, like Java and Ruby, use Object-oriented programming concepts. OOP languages help in writing software for applications such as mobile, web, and gaming applications. There are high earnings in these fields and the best job opportunities for programmers to lie in these fields. Moving into various technologies and languages with the basics of OOP is easy, thus widening our career prospects. One drawback in this happens to be expertise. Companies typically seek practical experience in OOP languages and concepts. Therefore, it is advisable to practice continuously throughout the learning process.
Conclusion
Object-oriented programming simplifies the programming process for us. It has many values like reusability, efficiency, and maintenance of code. While it may initially be hard to understand OOP concepts, I assure you the fruit will be worth the effort. This article helped simplify those concepts!
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