Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) is a programming language paradigm based on the concept of "objects", which may contain data, in the form of fields, often known as attributes; and code, in the form of procedures, often known as methods. A feature of objects is that an object's procedures can access and often modify the[ ► ]
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![Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) and Its Principles Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) is a programming paradigm based on the concept of objects, which can contain data, in the form of fields (often known as attributes or properties), and code, in the form of procedures (often known as methods). OOP aims to incorporate the principles of real-world objects into programming, allowing for a more intuitive way to handle complex software projects. The core principles of OOP are Encapsulation This principle is about bundling the data (attributes) and methods that operate on the data into a single unit called an object. It also involves restricting access to the inner workings of that object (data hiding), which can prevent accidental modification of data. Inheritance This allows a class to inherit properties and methods from another class. The class that inherits is called the child or subclass, and the class being inherited from is called the parent or superclass. Inheritance promotes code reusability and can make code more organized and manageable. Polymorphism This principle allows objects of different classes to be treated as objects of a common superclass. It is the ability for the same code to be used with different types of objects to produce different outcomes. Polymorphism can be achieved through method overriding (where a child class has a different implementation of a method already defined in its parent class) or method overloading (where two methods have the same name but different parameters). Abstraction This principle involves hiding complex implementation details and showing only the necessary features of an object. It can reduce programming complexity and increase efficiency. Sample Python Code Demonstrating OOP Principles Let's create a simple Python example to demonstrate these principles # Base class Animal (demonstrates Abstraction) class Animal def __init__(self, name) self.name = name # Encapsulation - name is a property of the animal def speak(self) # Abstraction - Specific animals will implement this raise NotImplementedError(Subclass must implement abstract method) # Child class Dog inheriting from Animal (demonstrates Inheritance) class Dog(Animal) def speak(self) # Polymorphism - Overriding the speak method return f{self.name} says Woof! # Child class Cat inheriting from Animal class Cat(Animal) def speak(self) # Polymorphism - Overriding the speak method return f{self.name} says Meow! # Creating objects dog = Dog(Buddy) cat = Cat(Whiskers) # Demonstrating polymorphism animals = [dog, cat] for animal in animals print(animal.speak()) # Even though they're different, we can treat them as the same type of object (Animal). In this example Encapsulation is demonstrated by encapsulating the name attribute in the Animal class. Inheritance is shown where Dog and Cat classes inherit from the Animal class. Polymorphism is shown in how both Dog and Cat classes can use the speak method, but implement it differently. Abstraction is shown by defining a method speak in the Animal class, which is then implemented by its subclasses. The Animal class cannot be instantiated on its own because it contains a method speak that is not implemented, making it abstract in nature. This code provides a simple yet comprehensive demonstration of the key OOP principles, making it a good starting point for learners.](https://miltonmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Object-Oriented-Programming-.webp "Object-Oriented Programming (Oop) 10")