a day ago
- Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) organizes code by grouping things (objects) with their attributes and actions into classes, making code cleaner and clearer.
- A class is a master template that defines the attributes (data) and methods (actions) for its instances, which are specific objects created from the class.
- Instances of a class, such as Baxter, Jane, and Sue as antelopes, each have their own attribute values (e.g., location and stomach fullness) and can call methods like move() or eat().
- The 'this' keyword refers to the current instance of a class, allowing methods to access that instance's variables, and is used explicitly for clarity in code.
- Constructors are special methods that initialize new instances, often setting initial attribute values and accepting parameters (e.g., a name for an antelope).
- Public and private keywords control access to class members: public members are accessible from outside the class, while private members are hidden to improve code reliability and maintainability.
- To design OOP solutions, describe entities, their attributes, and actions in plain language, then translate them into classes with instance variables and methods, and finally instantiate objects to use them.