What is Object-Oriented Programming

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) is a programming paradigm that uses "objects" to represent data and methods to manipulate that data. OOP allows for the creation of modular, reusable code, fostering better organization and design of complex software systems.

In OOP, the key concepts include:

  • Classes: Templates for creating objects.
  • Objects: Instances of classes containing data and behavior.
  • Inheritance: Mechanism to create a new class using properties and methods of an existing class.
  • Encapsulation: Keeping the internal state of an object private, exposing only what is necessary through public methods.
  • Polymorphism: Ability to present the same interface for different underlying data types.

Here's a simple example in PHP that demonstrates these concepts:

<?php class Animal { public function makeSound() { return "Some sound"; } } class Dog extends Animal { public function makeSound() { return "Bark"; } } class Cat extends Animal { public function makeSound() { return "Meow"; } } $dog = new Dog(); echo $dog->makeSound(); // Outputs: Bark $cat = new Cat(); echo $cat->makeSound(); // Outputs: Meow ?>

Object-Oriented Programming OOP Classes Objects Inheritance Encapsulation Polymorphism PHP