What Is Object-oriented Programming?
An object-oriented programming language is a programming language that represents the elements of a problem as objects, which contain data and behavior. Real-world objects are used to model the state and behavior of real-world entities in your application. Object-oriented languages can be subdivided into categories depending on their particular type of system, also referred to as static or dynamic typing. Compared to other programming languages, object-oriented development is a streamlined and structured methodology, which is particularly beneficial for developers tackling complex projects.
Object-oriented programming is set to increase code reusability by creating different classes for different types of information, which allows developers to easily add features when they need them without having to change existing code. This also saves development time and makes programs easier to maintain because if there’s a bug or a defect, you can fix it in one place instead of having to search through multiple files looking for where the error occurs.
PYTHON
Python is an interpreted, object-oriented, high-level programming language with dynamic semantics. Its high-level built in data structures, combined with dynamic typing and dynamic binding, make it very attractive for Rapid Application Development, as well as for use as a scripting or glue language to connect existing components together. Python's simple, easy-to-learn syntax emphasizes readability and therefore reduces the cost of program maintenance. Python supports modules and packages, which encourages program modularity and code reuse.
IS PYTHON AN OBJECT-ORIENTED PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE?
Python is a great programming language that supports OOP. You will use it to define a class with attributes and methods, which you will then call. Python offers a number of benefits compared to other programming languages like Java, C++ or R. It's a dynamic language with high-level data types. This means that development happens much faster than with Java or C++. It does not require the programmer to declare types of variables and arguments. This also makes Python easier to understand and learn for beginners, its code being more readable and intuitive.
Why is Python object-oriented?
The building blocks of Python as an object-oriented programming language include the following:
Objects
An object is a data structure incorporating information about a state and a behavior. An object in Python has attributes and behaviors.
Attributes are characteristics or data associated with an object (e.g., make, model, year, color).
Behaviors (methods) are actions that an object can perform (e.g., start_engine(), drive(), brake()).
Classes
These are user-defined data types. Classes serve as the objects’ blueprints. They comprise variables, functions, and methods. The keyword class helps create classes in Python. A class contains attributes or variables. These attributes are always public. You can retrieve them using the dot (.) operator. Class can be used to create many objects of the same type.
Like any other object-oriented programming language, Python is based on the following principles:
Classes with inheritance
Python classes support inheritance. A class can inherit properties from some other class, giving rise to the following two types of classes:
Child/derived class: The one that derives/inherits properties from some other class
Parent/base class: The class from which the properties are taken/derived
Encapsulation
Python supports the combination of behavior and data in a class. However, it does not enforce data hiding. In other words, attributes/methods do not have a private/protected status.
Encapsulation is yet another fundamental concept in OOP. It implies wrapping data and methods in a single unit.
Encapsulation restricts direct access to variables and methods and prevents accidental data modification. To avoid unintentional change, an object's variable can only be altered by its process, and such variables are called private variables.
In Python, private attributes are denoted using an underscore prefix, such as single _ or double __.
Polymorphism
As an object-oriented programming language, Python supports polymorphism, which means multiple forms. In other words, the same entity (method/operator/object) can perform different functions in different scenarios.
Python supports polymorphism via multiple inheritance. It can emulate the "interface" concept using abstract classes and abstract methods on those classes.
Data abstraction
Python classes exhibit high-level data and features via methods, attributes, and properties.
Data abstraction hides unnecessary code details from the user when you don’t want to share sensitive code parts.
In Python, you can achieve data abstraction by creating abstract classes. Internal functionality and data stay hidden through strong community conventions and tools. Thus, data abstraction in Python makes the data less complex and more secure for the user.
References
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