Java as an Object Oriented Language
Introduction: In this section, we will
discuss the OOPs concepts along with their role in developing
the java applications and programs.
OOP stands for Object
Oriented Programming. This is a technique used
to develop programs revolving around the real world entities. In OOPs programming model,
programs are developed around data rather than actions and logics.
In OOPs, every real life object has properties and behavior. which is achieved through the class and object creation. They contains properties
(variables of some type) and behavior (methods).
OOPs provides a better
flexibility and compatibility for developing large applications.
There are four main pillars of an Object
Oriented Programming Language :
- Inheritance:
Inheritance provide the facility to drive one class by another using
simple syntax. You can say that it is a process of creating new class and
use the behavior of the existing class by extending them for reuse the existing code and adding the additional features as
you need. It also use to manage and make well structured software.
- Encapsulation:
Encapsulation is the ability to bundle the property and method of the
object and also operate them. It is the mechanism of combining the information and providing the
abstraction as well.
- Polymorphism:
As the name suggest one name multiple form, Polymorphism is the way that
provide the different functionality by the
functions having the same name based on the signatures of the methods.
There are two type of polymorphism first is run-time polymorphism and second
is compile-time polymorphism.
- Dynamic binding:
It is the way that provide the maximum functionality to a program for a
specific type
at runtime. There are two type of binding first is dynamic binding and
second is static binding.
As the languages like C, C++ fulfills the
above four characteristics yet they are not fully object oriented
languages because they are structured as well as object oriented languages.
But in case of java, it is a fully Object Oriented language because object
is at the outer most level of data structure in java. No stand alone methods,
constants, and variables are there in java. Everything in java is object even
the primitive data types can also be converted into object by using the wrapper
class.
Class: A class defines the properties and
behavior (variables and methods) that is shared by all its objects. It is a blue
print for the creation of objects. The primitive data type and keyword
void is work as a class object.
Object: Object is the basic entity of
object oriented programming language. Class itself does nothing but the real
functionality is achieved through their objects. Object is an instance of the
class. It takes the properties (variables) and uses the behavior (methods)
defined in the class.
The Encapsulation, Inheritance
and Polymorphism
are main pillars of OOPs. These have been
described below :
Encapsulation:
Encapsulation is the process of
binding together the methods and data variables as a single entity. It keeps both the data and functionality code safe from the outside
world. It hides the data within the class and makes it available only through
the methods. Java provides different accessibility scopes (public,
protected, private ,default) to hide the data from outside. Here we provide a
example in which we create a class "Check" which has a variable "amount"
to store the current amount. Now to manipulate this variable we create a
methods and to set the value of amount we create setAmount() method
and to get the value of amount we create getAmount() method .
Here is the
code for "Mainclass" class :
class Check{
private int amount=0;
public int getAmount(){
return amount;
}
public void setAmount(int amt){
amount=amt;
}
}
public class Mainclass{
public static void main(String[] args){
int amt=0;
Check obj= new Check();
obj.setAmount(200);
amt=obj.getAmount();
System.out.println("Your current amount
is :"+amt);
}
}
|
Here the data variable "amount" and methods setAmount()
and getAmount() are enclosed together with in a single entity
called the "Check" class. These two methods are used to manipulate
this variable i.e. set and get the current value of amount.
Here is the output of the example:
C:\roseindia>javac Mainclass.java
C:\roseindia>java Mainclass
Your current amount is :200 |
Download the example
Inheritance:
Inheritance allows a class
(subclass) to acquire the properties and behavior of another class (superclass).
In java, a class can inherit only one class (superclass) at a time but a class
can have any number of subclasses. It helps to reuse, customize and enhance the
existing code. So it helps to write a code accurately and reduce the development
time. Java uses extends keyword to extend a class.
Here is the
code of the example :
class A{
public void fun1(int x){
System.out.println("Int in A
is :" + x);
}
}
class B extends A{
public void fun2(int x,int y){
fun1(6); // prints "int in
A"
System.out.println("Int in B
is :" + x "
and "+y);
}
}
public class inherit{
public static void main(String[] args){
B obj= new B();
obj.fun2(2);
}
}
|
In the above example, class B extends class A and
so acquires properties and behavior of class A. So we can call method of A in
class B.
Here is the output of the example:
C:\roseindia>javac inherit.java
C:\roseindia>java inherit
Int in A is :6
Int in B is :2 and 5 |
Download the example
Polymorphism :
Polymorphism allows one interface
to be used for a set of actions i.e. one name may refer to different
functionality. Polymorphism allows a object to accept different requests of a
client (it then properly interprets the request like choosing appropriate
method) and responds according to the current state of the runtime system,
all without bothering the user.
There are two types of polymorphism :
- Compile-time polymorphism
- Runtime Polymorphism
In compiletime Polymorphism, method to be
invoked is determined at the compile time. Compile time polymorphism is
supported through the method overloading concept in java.
Method overloading means having multiple methods with
same name but with different signature (number, type and order of parameters).
Here is the
code of the example :
class A{
public void fun1(int x){
System.out.println("The value of class A is :
" + x);
}
public void fun1(int x,int y){
System.out.println("The value of class
B is : " + x + "
and " + y);
}
}
public class polyone{
public static void main(String[] args){
A obj=new A();
// Here compiler decides that fun1(int)
is to be called and "int" will be printed.
obj.fun1(2);
// Here compiler decides that fun1(int,int)is to be called and "int and int" will be printed.
obj.fun1(2,3);
}
}
|
Here is the output of the example:
C:\roseindia>javac polyone.java
C:\roseindia>java polyone
The value of class A is : 2
The value of class B is : 2 and 3 |
Download the example
In rumtime polymorphism, the method to be
invoked is determined at the run time. The example of run time polymorphism is method
overriding. When a subclass contains a method
with the same name and signature as in the super class then it is called as
method overriding.
class A{
public void fun1(int x){
System.out.println("int in Class
A is : "+ x);
}
}
class B extends A{
public void fun1(int x){
System.out.println("int in Class
B is : "+ x);
}
}
public class polytwo{
public static void main(String[] args){
A obj;
obj= new A();
// line 1
obj.fun1(2);
// line 2 (prints "int in Class A is
: 2")
obj=new B();
// line 3
obj.fun1(5);
// line 4 (prints ""int in Class
B is : 5")
}
} |
Here is the output of the example:
C:\roseindia>javac polytwo.java
C:\roseindia>java polytwo
int in Class A is : 2
int in Class B is : 5 |
Download the example
In the above program, obj has been declared as A
type. In line 1, object of class A is assigned. Now in the next line, fun1(int)
of class A will be called. In line 3, obj has been assigned the object of class
C so fun1(int) of class C will be invoked in line 4. Now we can understand that
same name of the method invokes different functions, defined in different
classes, according to the current type of variable "obj". This
binding of method code to the method call is decided at run time.
|
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Current Comments
5 comments so far (post your own) View All Comments Latest 10 Comments:hey guys this site is xtrememly xcellent for newbies , i appreciate ur work ,
hats off to u
keep it up !!!!!!!!!!!
plz include more examples
Posted by Anshuman Singh on Sunday, 05.25.08 @ 09:47am | #60976
well i m not clear about the diffrence between encapsulationa nad abstraction plz help me out with a simple example
Posted by suraj on Thursday, 03.27.08 @ 17:14pm | #54495
HI,
I saw lot of Java study materials on Internet but this site materials is really superb.
I appreciate your efforts and work of working in which you are doing.
Keep It up...!!!
Sandeep Ruhela
Posted by Sandeep Ruhela on Thursday, 03.27.08 @ 17:05pm | #54494
thanku for giving gud examples...
Posted by pri on Sunday, 11.4.07 @ 13:34pm | #35505
i need extra information about static variables and non static variables
Posted by pavan on Monday, 07.16.07 @ 20:45pm | #21396