Object-Oriented Programming Fundamentals

📋 Course Outline

1. Classes and Objects
2. Encapsulation
3. Inheritance
4. Polymorphism
5. Abstraction
6. OOP Languages
7. Design Principles
8. Design Patterns
9. Common Mistakes
10. Real-World Applications

📖 1. Classes and Objects

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Class: A blueprint or template that defines the properties (attributes) and behaviors (methods) of objects. It specifies what data an object will hold and what operations can be performed on it.

• Object: An instance of a class; a concrete entity created based on the class blueprint. Each object has its own set of attribute values and can invoke the class methods.

• Attributes (Fields): Data members within a class that hold information about an object’s state (e.g., color, size).

• Methods: Functions defined within a class that operate on objects, enabling behavior (e.g., drive(), calculateArea()).

• Instantiation: The process of creating an object from a class using a constructor, which allocates memory and initializes the object.

• Constructor: A special method used to initialize objects when they are created, often with parameters to set initial attribute values.

📝 Essential Points