Chapter 2 - OBJECT ORIENTED PROGRAMMING CONCEPTS , Chapter Notes, Class 12, Computer Science

Introduction:
Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) is a programming paradigm that organizes data and behaviors into reusable structures called objects. It focuses on the concepts of classes, objects, encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism. This chapter provides a detailed understanding of these concepts.

1. Classes:
- A class is a blueprint or template that defines the properties and behaviors of objects.
- It acts as a user-defined data type that can hold data and methods.
- It encapsulates the data and provides a clear separation between data and functions.

2. Objects:
- An object is an instance of a class that represents a real-world entity.
- It has its own state (data) and behavior (methods).
- Objects are created using the 'new' keyword.

3. Encapsulation:
- Encapsulation is the process of binding data and methods together in a single unit (class).
- It provides data hiding and abstraction.
- Data hiding ensures that the internal representation of an object is hidden from the outside world.
- Abstraction refers to the process of exposing only the essential features of an object and hiding the rest.

4. Inheritance:
- Inheritance is a mechanism that allows a class to inherit properties and behaviors from another class.
- It promotes code reusability and enables the creation of hierarchical relationships between classes.
- The class that is inherited from is called the base class or superclass, and the class that inherits is called the derived class or subclass.

5. Polymorphism:
- Polymorphism means the ability of an object to take on many forms.
- It allows objects of different classes to be treated as objects of a common superclass.
- Polymorphism is achieved through method overriding and method overloading.

Conclusion:
This chapter provides a comprehensive understanding of the key concepts of Object-Oriented Programming. It introduces classes, objects, encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism. Understanding these concepts is essential for developing efficient and modular software applications.