Object-oriented programming

Object-oriented programming (OOP, OO, etc.) is a programming paradigm based on the concept of objects.

Description

Objects have two parts:

• Data structures that contain data, in the form of fields, often known as attributes

• Code, in the form of procedures, often known as methods.

A distinguishing feature of objects is that an object's procedures can access and often modify the data fields of the object with which they are associated (objects have a notion of "this").

In OO programming, computer programs are designed by making them out of objects that interact with one another.

There is significant diversity in object-oriented programming, but most popular languages are class-based, meaning that objects are instances of classes, which typically also determines their type.

See also

• Computer programming
• Programming paradigm
• Software design pattern

External links

• Object-oriented programming @ Wikipedia