Object-Oriented Programming Concepts

Study Notes

A mechanism in which one class can inherit the properties and behavior of another class
The child class inherits all the fields and methods of the parent class
The child class can also add new fields and methods or override the ones inherited from the parent class
Types of inheritance:
- Single inheritance: A child class inherits from a single parent class
- Multiple inheritance: A child class inherits from multiple parent classes
- Multilevel inheritance: A child class inherits from a parent class that itself inherits from another parent class
- Hierarchical inheritance: A child class inherits from a parent class, and another child class inherits from the first child class

The ability of an object to take on multiple forms
Achieved through method overriding or method overloading
Method overriding:
- A child class provides a different implementation of a method already defined in its parent class
- The method name and signature are the same, but the implementation is different
Method overloading:
- Multiple methods with the same name but different parameters
- The method to be called is determined by the number and type of parameters

The concept of showing only the necessary information to the outside world while hiding the internal details
Implemented through abstract classes and interfaces
Abstract classes:
- Cannot be instantiated on their own
- Can have both abstract and concrete methods
- Can have state (fields)
Interfaces:
- Cannot be instantiated on their own
- All methods are abstract
- No state (fields)

A mechanism in which an object is made up of other objects
The contained objects are not complete without the container object
Types of composition:
- Containment: One object contains a collection of other objects
- Aggregation: One object contains a reference to another object

The concept of bundling data and methods that operate on that data within a single unit
Implemented through classes and objects
Benefits:
- Hides internal implementation details
- Improves code organization and structure
- Reduces data corruption and misuse
- Improves code reuse and modularity

Description