Object-oriented programming in Python.

Requires: Python

Introduces: Python objects and classes

Motivating questions:

1. I have a complex program which has lots of duplicated code, is there any way to simplify it?
2. How do I change the behavior of one part of my program without affecting the rest of it?

Lectures:

1. Introduction (pdf, ppt)
   • Objects combine functions with data to make both easier to manage.
   • Objects add abstraction to help reduce duplication.
   • They can also help programs to grow piece by piece over time.
   • They also can make programs more complex, if overly used.
2. Basics (pdf, ppt)
   • A class defines a the behaviors of a new kind of thing.
   • An object is a particular thing with particular properties.
   • Methods are just functions that are part of a class.
   • Member variables are just variables that are part of a class.
   • Constructors are methods that are called when an object is created.
3. Interfaces (pdf, ppt)
   • Something’s interface is what it knows how to do
   • Programming to interfaces makes it much easier to test/change/replace.
4. Inheritance (pdf, ppt)
   • One class can inherit methods and member variables from another.
   • Inheritance makes it possible to reduce duplication of code
   • Overriding allows a class to customize the behavior of methods it inherits.
5. Overloading (under construction)
6. Design (under construction)
7. Quality (under construction)

Exercises: link