Java - What is OOP?
OOP stands for Object-Oriented Programming.
Procedural programming is about writing procedures or methods that perform operations on the data, while object-oriented programming is about creating objects that contain both data and methods.
OOP is ideal for building scalable, reusable, and maintainable code.
Object-oriented programming has several advantages over procedural programming:
- OOP provides a clear structure for the programs
- OOP helps to keep the Java code DRY "Don't Repeat Yourself", and makes the code easier to maintain, modify and debug
- OOP makes it possible to create full reusable applications with less code and shorter development time
Tip: The "Don't Repeat Yourself" (DRY) principle is about reducing the repetition of code. You should extract out the codes that are common for the application, and place them at a single place and reuse them instead of repeating it.
Java - What are Classes and Objects?
Classes and objects are the two main aspects of object-oriented programming.
Look at the following illustration to see the difference between class and objects:
class
Fruit
objects
Apple
Banana
Mango
Another example:
class
Car
objects
Volvo
Audi
Toyota
So, a class is a template for objects, and an object is an instance of a class.
When the individual objects are created, they inherit all the variables and methods from the class.
You will learn much more about classes and objects in the next chapter.
