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A Complete Guide to Object Oriented Programming (OOP) – 2023

what is object oriented programming

What is Object Oriented Programming?

Object oriented programming (OOP) is a programming paradigm that is based on the concept of “objects”, which are data structures that contain both data and functions that operate on that data.

Object oriented programming is designed to make it easier to develop and maintain complex software systems by organizing the code into logical, reusable units called “classes”.

In OOP, a class is a template or blueprint for an object. It defines the data and behavior of an object, including its attributes (data) and methods (functions). For example, a “Person” class might have attributes such as name, age, and gender, and methods such as speak() and walk().

To create an object from a class, we use a process called “instantiation”. This creates a new instance of the class, with its own unique set of data and behavior. For example, we could instantiate a “Person” class to create two objects, “Alice” and “Bob”, each with their own unique name, age, and gender.

Important features of OOP

1) Abstraction

Abstraction is a powerful feature of OOP that allows us to design classes with a clean, simple interface that is easy to use, while hiding the complexity of the implementation behind the scenes. This makes it easier to understand and use classes, without having to worry about the details of how they work.

2) Encapsulation

Encapsulation is another important feature of OOP, which allows us to combine data and behavior into a single, self-contained unit. This allows us to create classes that are self-contained and modular, with all the data and behavior needed to perform a specific task.

Encapsulation also allows us to control access to the data and behavior within a class, making it possible to protect the integrity of the data and prevent unintended changes.

3) Polymorphism

Polymorphism is another key feature of OOP, which allows us to use the same interface for different implementations. This means that we can create classes that share the same interface, but have different implementations depending on the specific needs of the application.

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿผ For example, we could create a “Shape” class with a draw() method, and then create different classes for different shapes, such as “Circle” and “Triangle”, each with its own implementation of the draw() method.

Overall, OOP is a powerful programming paradigm that offers a number of benefits for developing and maintaining complex software systems.

By organizing code into classes, OOP enables code reuse, inheritance, abstraction, encapsulation, polymorphism, and other key features, making it easier to create, maintain, and modify software. OOP is widely used in many programming languages, including Java, C++, and Python, and is an essential skill for any modern software developer.

Key benefits of OOP

1) Create classes inheriting characteristics from parent classes

One of the key benefits of OOP is the ability to create classes that inherit characteristics from parent classes. This allows us to reuse and extend existing code, rather than having to write everything from scratch.

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿผ For example, we could create a “Student” class that inherits attributes and methods from the “Person” class, but also adds new attributes and methods specific to students, such as a student ID number and a study() method.

2) Inheritance to create hierarchical relationships between classes

Inheritance is a powerful feature of OOP that allows us to create hierarchical relationships between classes, with child classes inheriting attributes and methods from their parent classes. This allows us to create complex class hierarchies, with multiple levels of inheritance and a rich set of attributes and methods.

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿผ For example, we could create a “Teacher” class that inherits from the “Person” class, and a “GraduateStudent” class that inherits from the “Student” class.

3) Hide implementation details from the user of a class

Another key benefit of OOP is the ability to hide or abstract implementation details from the user of a class. This allows us to create classes with a clear, well-defined interface that is easy to use, without exposing the underlying complexity of the implementation.

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿผ For example, we could create a “Car” class with a start() method that hides the details of how the car’s engine is started, such as by turning a key or pressing a button.

OOP example in code

In OOP, we create classes that represent real-world objects and their properties and behaviors. Each class is made up of data (properties) and functions (behaviors) that operate on that data.

For example, let’s say we are creating a program to manage a library. In this program, we would create a class called “Book” that represents a book in the library. The Book class would have properties like title, author, and number of pages. It would also have behaviors like “borrow” and “return” that allow users to check out and return books.

Here is an example of how the Book class might look in Python:

class Book: def init(self, title, author, pages):

self.title = title

self.author = author

self.pages = pages

def borrow(self):
    print(f"{self.title} has been borrowed")

def return_book(self):
    print(f"{self.title} has been returned")

In this code, the Book class has three properties: title, author, and pages. It also has two behaviors: borrow and return_book. The init method is called when a new instance of the Book class is created, and it initializes the properties of the book.

To use this class, we can create an instance of a Book object and call its methods:

book = Book(“The Great Gatsby”, “F. Scott Fitzgerald”, 180) book.borrow()

Output: The Great Gatsby has been borrowed

book.return_book()

Output: The Great Gatsby has been returned

In this example, we create an instance of the Book class called “book” and pass in the title, author, and number of pages as arguments. We then call the borrow and return_book methods on the book object to simulate borrowing and returning the book.

OOP allows us to create modular and reusable code that represents real-world objects and their properties and behaviors. This can make our programs easier to understand and maintain.

OOP role in blockchain tech

Object-oriented programming (OOP) plays a crucial role in the development and implementation of blockchain technology. OOP is a programming paradigm that focuses on the organization and design of code by creating modular units, known as objects, which can be easily reused and modified.

In the context of blockchain, OOP allows for the creation of objects that represent various components of a blockchain network, such as transactions, blocks, and nodes. This modular approach makes it easier for developers to create and maintain blockchain applications, as well as to integrate new features and functionality into existing systems.

OOP also facilitates the use of design patterns, such as the observer pattern, which can be used to implement event-driven systems in blockchain applications. This allows for the creation of applications that can respond to changes in the blockchain network in a reactive and scalable manner.

Overall, the use of OOP in blockchain technology allows for the creation of more robust and flexible blockchain applications, as well as enabling the integration of blockchain technology into existing systems.