The latest articles on DEV Community by Ian (@dreamhollow4219). https://dev.to/dreamhollow4219 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F1090852%2F8c6bc5ae-2bb6-4813-8dfb-f9a95611528c.jpeg https://dev.to/dreamhollow4219 en Ian Sat, 28 Oct 2023 18:42:53 +0000 https://dev.to/dreamhollow4219/really-understanding-objects-in-object-oriented-programming-1em0 https://dev.to/dreamhollow4219/really-understanding-objects-in-object-oriented-programming-1em0 <h2> What is object oriented programming and why is it used? </h2> <p>Reviewing the reason for the popularity and widespread usage of object oriented programming is important for everyone interested in languages that favor such a programming style.</p> <p>Simply put, object oriented programming is the idea that your code is broken down into uniquely controlled and accessible sections of data.</p> <p>These "sections" are objects; data types with uniquely modified traits that allow program parts to interact with less overhead.</p> <p>But why are they used?</p> <p>The most common reason would be using sets of data in different parts of a program without having a developer making special calls or functions to execute what can be re-used.</p> <h2> What is an example of an object in a program? </h2> <p>Think of a simple button.</p> <p>In most situations, a button has a singular purpose tied to it's overall function. If someone presses the "home" button on a web browser, they expect their browser to take them to the webpage they set as their "home" website.</p> <p>Another example is a "New Game" button in a videogame. A player pressing the "New Game" button knows exactly what the button is supposed to do; it's supposed to start the sequence of code that allows a player to start a game from the beginning.</p> <p>Here is a sample of some actual C++ code:<br> </p> <div class="highlight js-code-highlight"> <pre class="highlight plaintext"><code>// New game if (this-&gt;buttons["GAME_STATE"]-&gt;isPressed()) { this-&gt;states-&gt;push(new GameState(this-&gt;stateData)); } </code></pre> </div> <p>The "Game State" button is pressed, but the button itself says "New Game" and is meant to start the events that begin the game. There's a complex unseen event sequence happening here where the program will load in a bunch of relevant data; this includes players, enemies, map data, in-game objects, and more!</p> <p>All from the press of the 'button' object.</p> <p>This should help clarify for anyone who might not fully understand the true nature of "object oriented" programming. </p> <p>It is a complex but highly modular way to design your programs to design code to execute in highly specialized ways.</p> cpp python beginners