Classes and OOP Concepts in Python

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) is a programming paradigm that uses “objects” to represent data and methods. In Python, a class is a blueprint for creating objects, encapsulating data, and defining behaviors (methods). OOP principles help in organizing code in a modular, reusable, and scalable way.

Here are the core OOP concepts in Python:

1. Class

A class in Python is a blueprint for creating objects. It defines a set of attributes (variables) and methods (functions) that the objects created from the class will have. A class is like a template, and each object is an instance of that class.

Example of a Class:

class Dog:
    # Constructor (__init__) to initialize object
    def __init__(self, name, breed):
        self.name = name  # Attribute
        self.breed = breed  # Attribute

    # Method to describe the dog
    def bark(self):
        return f"{self.name} is barking!"

# Creating objects (instances) of the Dog class
dog1 = Dog("Buddy", "Golden Retriever")
dog2 = Dog("Bella", "Labrador")

# Accessing attributes and calling methods
print(dog1.name)  # Output: Buddy
print(dog2.breed)  # Output: Labrador
print(dog1.bark())  # Output: Buddy is barking!

2. Object