What is Object-Based Coding? What are the main things about it and is it still used today? About making things simple, hiding details, borrowing features & changing behaviors.
Is Object-Based Coding Still Used?
Ever since Simula, the original object-based language, was introduced in Oslo in 1962, object-based coding (OBC) has been the main way to code. In recent years, though, both functional and procedural coding have become more popular, gaining lots of fans and making some people wonder if OBC is still useful. Of course, when working with a web development company, it's important to make sure they really know how to code. So should programmers still use OBC today, or is object-based coding no longer useful?
What is Object-Based Coding?
Before we go any further, let's make sure we're clear: what exactly is OBC anyway? In simple terms, Object-based coding (OBC) is a way of coding – or style – that focuses on the idea of "objects" that can hold both data and instructions. The data is like information (often called attributes or properties), while the instructions are like actions (or methods). OBC is used to create programs using objects that can work together. Although most popular programming languages today let you use OBC in some way (like C++, Java, Python and others), they also support other ways of coding too.
What Does "OBC Style" Mean?
A coding style is a way to group different coding languages based on a few different things. For object-based coding – like we talked about earlier – we use the idea of "objects," which are like ways of representing real-world situations.
For example, if a coder wanted to make a financial application, they could create a bunch of objects like: account, customer, transaction and others like them. That way, they can break down problems and describe them like they would at work (like "the customer can make a transaction and move money from one account to another").
This makes it much easier to code and talk about the program, because even when software people are talking about it, they can use special words that show exactly what they mean. It also makes it easier to find and fix problems in the code later on, so future teams can work with it more easily.
The Four Main Ideas of OBC
The four main ideas of OBC can help software engineers write good, object-based code. They are making things simple, hiding details, borrowing features, and changing behaviors.
What is making things simple in OBC?
In computer coding, abstraction means showing only the necessary information to the user. For example, when you turn on your phone, you don't need to know all the technical stuff happening behind the scenes; you just want it to work. Similarly, abstraction in Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) hides how things are done, like converting text to lowercase without knowing the complex inner workings.
What is Encapsulation in OOP?
Encapsulation in OOP is when you combine data and methods into one thing, like a class. This keeps the important stuff about an object safe from outside meddling. It helps tidy up code and makes it easier for others to understand. Plus, it adds security by keeping data protected from unauthorized changes.
What is Inheritance in OOP?
Inheritance is another big idea in OOP. It's about building classes on top of each other to reuse code. But you can't just change the code whenever you want; you have to work with what you're given. When a class comes from another class, it's called a subclass or child class, and the original class is the superclass or parent class.
→ Understanding the distinction between polymorphism and overriding
What is Polymorphism in OOP?
Polymorphism in OOP means data can be used in different ways. Think of it like how a person can have many roles at once — like being a husband, father, and scientist all at the same time. In coding, it's when a reference to a parent class can also work with a child class object.
Object-Oriented vs Functional: How does functional programming compare?
On the other hand, functional programming (FP) treats code as math problems, which might seem colder, but it's also really efficient. Many FP fans think it makes things like testing and debugging easier. Some even say it's safer. But can it replace OOP entirely? Let's compare object-oriented and functional programming:
- Both functional programming and OOP languages aim to give us code that's easy to understand, strong, and easy to handle.
- In functional programming, data isn't kept in objects like it is in OOP. Instead, you change data by writing functions.
- Trying to manage objects and lots of inheritance levels in object-oriented programming is really hard.
- In functional programming, each function needs a new object to work, which means apps need more memory to run.
Object-Oriented vs Procedural Programming
Lastly, procedural programming is a way of programming that's based on calling procedures. Procedures are like routines or sets of tasks. When we compare object-oriented vs procedural programming, here's what stands out:
- In procedural programming, functions and the order of tasks matter more than data. But OOP focuses more on data to mirror the real world.
- Adding new data and functions is harder in procedural programming compared to object-oriented programming, which makes it easier.
- OOP lets us reuse old code with inheritance, which procedural programming can't do.
Our Verdict: Still Going Strong!
Even though other ways of coding have improved, and despite what some might say, OOP is still widely used. It's not just useful today, but you can actually use both functional and object-oriented programming together. Plus, especially when you're working with a dedicated development team, there's no better way to go than OOP. So, here's to object-oriented programming!