This tutorial provides a beginner-friendly introduction to the core concepts of object-oriented programming. We will cover four main pillars of OOP: abstraction, inheritance, encapsulation, and polymorphism.
Abstraction
Abstraction is the process of hiding complex implementation details and showing only the necessary features to the user. In OOP, abstraction is achieved through abstract classes and interfaces. Abstract classes are classes that cannot be instantiated, and they are used to define common attributes and behaviors that can be shared by subclasses. Interfaces, on the other hand, are contracts that define a set of methods that a class must implement. By using abstraction, code is more modular and flexible, and changes to the underlying implementation can be made without affecting the rest of the program.
Inheritance
Inheritance is the process of creating new classes from existing classes. The new class inherits the properties and methods of the base class, and it can add or modify its own properties and methods. Inheritance enables code reuse and promotes a hierarchical structure, where more specific classes inherit from more general ones. In C#, inheritance is achieved using the “:” symbol followed by the name of the base class.
Encapsulation
Encapsulation is the process of hiding data and behavior within an object and exposing only a public interface to the user. In C#, encapsulation is achieved by using access modifiers, such as public, private, protected, and internal. Public members are accessible from anywhere, private members are accessible only within the same class, protected members are accessible within the same class or subclasses, and internal members are accessible within the same assembly.
Polymorphism
Polymorphism is the ability of an object to take on many forms. In OOP, polymorphism is achieved through method overloading and method overriding. Method overloading allows the same method name to be used with different parameters, while method overriding allows a subclass to provide its own implementation of a method defined in the base class. Polymorphism enables code flexibility and modularity, and it is a key feature of OOP.
Object-oriented programming is a powerful programming paradigm that provides many benefits, including code reuse, maintainability, and scalability. By using abstraction, inheritance, encapsulation, and polymorphism, developers can create robust and flexible software systems that can adapt to changing requirements.
