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object-oriented programming (OOP)

By Alexander S. Gillis

What is object-oriented programming?

Object-oriented programming (OOP) is a computer programming model that 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.

OOP focuses on the objects that developers want to manipulate rather than the logic required to manipulate them. This approach to programming is well-suited for programs that are large, complex and actively updated or maintained. This includes programs for manufacturing and design, as well as mobile applications; for example, OOP can be used for manufacturing system simulation software.

The organization of an object-oriented program also makes the method beneficial to collaborative development, where projects are divided into groups. Additional benefits of OOP include code reusability, scalability and efficiency.

The first step in OOP is to collect all of the objects a programmer wants to manipulate and identify how they relate to each other -- an exercise known as data modeling.

Examples of an object can range from physical entities, such as a human being who is described by properties like name and address, to small computer programs, such as widgets.

Once an object is known, it is labeled with a class of objects that defines the kind of data it contains and any logic sequences that can manipulate it. Each distinct logic sequence is known as a method. Objects can communicate with well-defined interfaces called messages.

What is the structure of object-oriented programming?

The structure, or building blocks, of object-oriented programming include the following:

What are the main principles of OOP?

Object-oriented programming is based on the following principles:

What are examples of object-oriented programming languages?

While Simula is credited as being the first object-oriented programming language, many other programming languages are used with OOP today. But some programming languages pair with OOP better than others. For example, programming languages considered pure OOP languages treat everything as objects. Other programming languages are designed primarily for OOP, but with some procedural processes included.

For example, popular pure OOP languages include:

Programming languages designed primarily for OOP include:

Other programming languages that pair with OOP include:

What are the benefits of OOP?

Benefits of OOP include:

Criticism of OOP

The object-oriented programming model has been criticized by developers for multiple reasons. The largest concern is that OOP overemphasizes the data component of software development and does not focus enough on computation or algorithms. Additionally, OOP code may be more complicated to write and take longer to compile.

Alternative methods to OOP include:

Most advanced programming languages enable developers to combine models, because they can be used for different programming methods. For example, JavaScript can be used for OOP and functional programming.

Developers who are working with OOP and microservices can address common microservices issues by applying the principles of OOP.

13 Jul 2021

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