Objects: Instances of Classes

It’s time to get an overview of object-oriented programming.

📌 Note: We’ll get into further detail in unit 5.

The class is a blueprint, or formal implementation of a data type, where objects are instances of such a class. Essentially, an object is a variable of the type defined by a class.

We can instantiate multiple objects of a class. For example, we can create as many String type variables as we want.

Some examples of objects and classes

To better describe the relationship between a class and its objects, we can take a look at a few examples.

Example 1

If Dog is described as a class, its methods (behavior) may include fetching a ball, wagging its tail, or barking. However, your or your friend’s pet dogs are the objects of the class: Dog.