Today’s Insights: 👈️ 

1. Why learn Objected Oriented Programming?

2. Core Concepts & Practical Application

3. Advantages & Disadvantages

4. Industry Example from Spaceio.ca

Why Learn Object Oriented Programming?

In today’s tech-driven world, mastering Object Oriented Programming (OOP) is crucial for anyone looking to build or enhance sophisticated software systems. OOP centers around organizing code through the use of objects and classes, making complex application development more intuitive and manageable. This introduction will guide you through the essentials of OOP, illustrating its practical applications and highlighting the advantages and challenges it presents, helping you leverage this powerful paradigm in your coding projects.

Core Concepts & Practical Application

Object Oriented Programming (OOP) is a programming paradigm that uses objects and classes to design and program applications. It organizes software design around data, or objects, rather than functions and logic. An object can be defined as a data field that has unique attributes and behavior. Classes, on the other hand, are blueprints for creating objects. Object-oriented programming (OOP) revolves around four core principles: encapsulation, abstraction, inheritance, and polymorphism. These concepts work together to enhance the functionality and manageability of OOP applications.

Encapsulation involves enclosing data within an object, safeguarding it from external code and only exposing necessary functionalities. For instance, a person class might encapsulate a private Social Security Number and provide a public method for bank transactions, thus protecting the data.

Abstraction simplifies the interaction with complex systems by separating the interface from the implementation. This allows programmers to change internal workings without affecting external usage. An example is a stereo system where users interact through buttons without needing to understand the internal circuitry.

Inheritance enables a new class to adopt the properties and functionalities of an existing class, facilitating code reusability and the creation of class hierarchies. For example, a grasshopper class can inherit characteristics from a broader insect class, sharing common traits like having six legs.

Polymorphism allows classes within a hierarchy to implement different behaviors while sharing the same interface. A classic example is different animal classes like cats and dogs responding differently to a common function, such as making noises, where a dog might bark and a cat might meow.

Advantages & Disadvantages

The advantages of Object Oriented Programming include modularity for easier troubleshooting, reuse of code through inheritance, and flexibility through polymorphism. OOP makes it possible to create full reusable applications with less code and shorter development time. The disadvantages, however, include higher processing power requirements, as it requires more CPU than procedural programming styles. The use of OOP can also result in excessive use of memory. A common criticism is that OOP can make the software harder to understand when not properly designed and can be less efficient in terms of performance.

Industry Example from Spaceio.ca 

As highlighted by spaceio.ca, selecting the ideal object-oriented programming language for developing scalable, high-performing, and secure applications can be challenging, which is why their guide, based on the TIOBE index and Statista data, offers insights into top languages like Python, Java, C++, and C# to help you make an informed decision.

Source: 7 Top Object-oriented Programming Languages to Use in 2024