OOP Basics: A Fresh Developer's Guide to Object-Oriented Programming

Whether you're building the front-end or back-end of an app, understanding Object-Oriented Programming is the first step in writing clean, reusable code.

OOP?

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) is a programming that uses the objects and classes to organize and structure the code. It helps developers to build reusable and scalable applications.

Importance of OOP

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) is essential in java because it allows developers to break down complex problems into smaller manageable objects. OOP provides us code reusability through inheritance, so that we can create new classes based on existing ones. It improves maintainability by encapsulating data and methods allowing to modify the code without impacting other parts of application. OOP supports data abstraction, enabling developers to focus on hiding complex information. Polymorphism allows the code to operate with different classes and objects allowing the application to be scalable.

Class

A class is a blue print for creating objects, Class is a collection of data members(attributes) and member functions. A class itself is not a object, it allows to create instances or objects.

Object

Object is a instance of a class, it is a real world entity based on the blue print provided by the class.

Method

Method is a block of code that performs a specific task and is defined within a class. Methods take input parameters, perform operations and return a value.

A method consists of following components:

1. Access Modifier: We can define visibility of the method (whether public, private, or protected)

2. Return Type: Specifies type of value the method return (like int, string and void for return nothing)

3. Method Name: A name that indicates what the method should do.

4. Parameters: These are the inputs methods can accept and they should be defined in between parenthesis ().

5. Method Body: A block of code or any operation that needs to be executed.

Example Method Block:

public int add(int a, int b) {

return a+b;

}

In this example public is a access modifier, int is a return type and add is a method name that takes a and b as parameters. return a+b is a statement which is written in method body that has to be executed.

Real Time Examples for Class

Class Definition: Car

Attributes: color, model, engine type

Methods: start_engine(), drive(), stop()

Real Time Examples for Object

Object: Bank Account

Attributes: Account Holder's Name, Balance, Account Number

Methods: Deposit, Withdraw, Check Balance

Four Pillars of OOP

1. Encapsulation

Encapsulation is the concept of grouping related data and the methods that operate on that data into a single unit.

2. Inheritance

Inheritance allows one class (child class) to inherit properties and behaviors (methods) from another class (parent class).

3. Polymorphism

Polymorphism is the ability of different classes to define methods that share the same name, but behave in different ways depending on the object that calls them.

4. Abstraction

Abstraction is the process of hiding the complex implementation details of an object and exposing only the necessary and relevant parts to the user.

OOP usage in Full-Stack Development

Object-oriented programming (OOP) has several benefits in full-stack development. OOP enables code reusability as classes and objects. These can be easily reused in many parts of an application. This results in less written code, less maintenance, and faster development times.

Conclusion

As a full-stack developer, mastering OOP will help you build clean, maintainable and scalable applications. Whether you’re working on the front-end or the back-end, understanding OOP principles will make it easier to write code which is reusable.

Thank you for your attention!

Stay Curious!