Think of a class as a way to group together similar things. It’s like putting items with shared characteristics into a category.
Describing a Group of Objects:
A class describes a group of objects that have similar properties (how they look), behavior (what they can do), relationships with other objects, and a common purpose.
Common Attributes and Behavior:
Objects within a class share the same attributes (characteristics) and behavior (actions or functions). This helps in organizing and managing them more efficiently.
Individuality through Differences:
Even though objects belong to the same class, they can have individuality based on differences in their attribute values and relationships with other objects.
Shared Purpose:
Objects in a class are not just similar in appearance or behavior, they also share a common purpose or goal. They are designed to work together towards a common objective.
Objects “Knowing” Their Class:
Each object is aware of the class it belongs to. It’s like objects have a built-in understanding of their group and what they’re supposed to do.
Determining Class at Run Time:
In object-oriented programming languages, the system can figure out (determine) which class an object belongs to while the program is running. This flexibility is useful for creating dynamic and adaptable programs.
Implicit Property of Objects:
The class of an object is a natural part of the object itself. It’s not something you have to explicitly specify every time; it’s like an inherent quality of the object.
