OOP Article

Introduction

Object-oriented programming (OOP for short) is a programming language model organised around objects rather than "actions" and data rather than logic. Historically, a program has been viewed as a logical procedure that takes input data, processes it, and produces output data.

An Object can be defined as anything, yourself, a mug, a table, anything, and these objects are defined by their behaviours and characteristics (such as a blue mug and a red mug, both share some properties but also have different properties.

Features

Class Diagrams (Design)

Efficiency in developing solutions. (Classes are resusable)

Programming Methodologies (such as XP [Extreme Programming])

Principles such as Abstraction (abstract classes), Inheritence (inheriting properties), Encapsulation (data-hiding), Polymorphism (Parent class refers to the child class object).

Programming languages which are strong in object orientation

Pros/Cons

OOP has its pros and cons:

Pros	Cons
The code is easier to maintain - Once the classes have been created, the base of the main code can be easily upgraded, where as in procedural coding it is harder to maintain as the base of your code is not centralised.	It can cause dupliation - OOP projects tend to be easier to design than to implement, this is because classes are so flexible in their application.
Resuable Classes - Once the classes have been created, they can often be used again in other applications or projects. At times, little-to-no modification is neccessary for the next project as well. That gives a team more flexibility once they get beyond the initial start-up phase.	It can be too scalable - If OOP is left out of control, then it can cause a massive amount of bloated, unnecessary code. When that happens, the overhead rises and that makes it difficult to keep costs down.
It allows for parallel development - In programming teams this is a big boost because each person can work independently of each other once the classes have been worked out. This allows for a relative level of parrallel development that wouldn't be available otherwise.	It can be inefficient - OOP tends to use more CPU than alternative options. That can make it an inefficient choice when there are technical limitations involved due to the size that it can end up being. Because of the duplication involved, the first time coding can be more extensive than other options as well.
Many programming languages are increasingly supporting OOP and most Software companies practice OOP whilst creating new projects.	Steep learning curve to learn OOP.

Extra Programs

Class Diagrams (Designing)
Programming languages such as Java.
IDEs such as Eclipse, Visual Studio and IntelliJ.
There are alternative methods to programming practices such as Functional Programming and Procedural Programming.

Summary

In conclusion:

Object Orientated Programming (OOP) does require a steep learning curve, lots of practice and a lot of learning, but payoffs of these investments are huge, especially jobs and future projects. Many programmers know how to code, but to be a very good programmer, you need to know everything and OOP is a great weapon to have in your problem solving arsenal.