Classes, Object-Oriented Programming and Inheritance

Question 1

What is an Object?

Answer 1

An object is an instance of a type - Everything in python is an option!

• each object has a type
• an internal data representation
• an interface for interacting with the object
  i. e. 1234 is an instance of a type

Question 2

What are the advantages of Object Oriented Programming?

Answer 2

• Bundle data into packages together with procedures that work on them through well defined interfaces
• divide and conquer development
  
  • -> implement and test behavior of each class separately
• classes make it easy to reuse code

Question 3

What do you have to do to create a class?

Answer 3

1. Define the class name (=type i.e. student)
2. Define class attributes (what is the object?)
3. Define methods (How to use the objects?)

Question 4

What do you have to do to use the class?

Answer 4

1. Create a new instance of a class (class objects)

2. Do operations on these instances

Question 5

What do you use the self for?

Answer 5

To refer to some instance while defining the class i.e. 
class Coordinate (object): 
(self.x - self.y) ** 2

Question 6

What is the main difference between a class and one of its objects?

Answer 6

A class defines data and methods across all instances 
vs.
An instance has the structure of the class

Question 7

What are data attributes within a class?

Answer 7

They represent your object with data
i.e. for an animal: age, name
for a coordinate: x and y values

Question 8

What are procedural attributes within a class?

Answer 8

Methods (Behaviour/operations)

• -> How you can interact with an object of the class, what it does
  i. e. for a coordinate: find distance between two

Question 9

What are getter and setter methods used for?

Answer 9

Should be used outside the class to access data attributes

Question 10

What is the dot notation used for with objects?

Answer 10

the dot is used to access attributes(data and methods)

but use primarily for methods and use getters and setters for data attributes