Discover what this paradigm-shifting concept is and the most popular languages that are considered a fundamental part of its success.
What is object oriented programming? What separates OOP languages from other programming languages?
Your business depends on the highest quality programmers writing your best code. The languages they use will depend on the project at hand. For some tasks, your developers may choose to use a server-side scripting language, such as PHP, .NET, Node.JS, Java, Ruby, or Python.
For other tasks, your software engineers may choose to take a more traditional path and use an object-oriented language for projects. Most of the time, the nature of the project at hand will dictate the type of language you use.
But when the project requires an object-oriented language, which one should you use? This choice can make or break a project. Choose the wrong language and you (or your developers) will have a hard time getting anything done. With the right language, everything flows exactly as it should.
Here, we'll explore what this paradigm-shifting concept is and the most popular languages that are considered a key part of its success.
We'll take a closer look at the object-oriented languages your developers should work with and why. But first let's find out exactly what this type of programming language is.
What is object oriented programming?
You are probably familiar with many programming languages. And you know that each programming language has its own attributes and distinctions. So what differentiates object-oriented programming languages from other languages?
First, it is important to understand the concept of object-oriented programming. Also known as OOP, it was even the name of a project from the famous novel “Microserfs” by Douglas Coupland.
OOP was a total paradigm shift in programming because it relies on classes and objects, which is a confusing pair of constructs. To define them, we can say that an object is an instance of a class. But what is a class? Basically, it is a blueprint from which objects are created.
So a class is a kind of template for creating a blueprint, but a blueprint is an instance of a class.
How can we simplify this? Easy:
Think of an object as something tangible, like a phone, a record, or a cup. Next, think of a class as a group of similar objects. For example, you might group “phone,” “tablet,” and “laptop” into a class called “mobility,” and “record,” “CD,” and “cassette” into a class called “music.”
4 Principles of Object-Oriented Programming Languages
Most importantly, however, OOP adheres to 4 principles:
- Encapsulation : when an object can keep its private state (within a class).
- Abstraction : A natural extension of Encapsulation, which allows objects to reveal only operations relevant to other objects. For example, you get into your car and press the start button. You don't need to know how everything works behind the scenes to direct.
- Inheritance : makes it possible to create a child class derived from a parent class that reuses all the fields and methods of the parent.
- Polymorphism : allows objects to take on more than one form based on the context in which they are used.
One of the biggest benefits that drives OOP is that it makes collaboration in the development process much easier, especially when a project is divided into groups. This is possible thanks to code reusability, scalability, and efficiency.
That said, let's take a look at the top OOP programming languages currently available.
List of object-oriented languages
The 7 most popular OOP languagesBelow, we highlight the top seven OOP languages, each distinguished by their unique features, applications, and the fundamental role they play in today's technology ecosystem. These languages, with their rich ecosystems and supporting communities, continue to set the standard for software development around the world. #1JavaWithout a doubt, Java is one of the most used OOP languages on the market. Part of the reason for Java's widespread use is that it is one of the official languages for Android development. With Android being the most popular mobile operating system on the planet, Java won't leave the top for some time. It also has longevity and a huge community on its side. Java was created as a “write once, run anywhere” language, which makes it work for many applications. And with Java 100% integrated into the concepts and principles behind OOP, it's understandable why it tops this list. #2PythonOne of the best things about Python is that it is a general-purpose language that can be applied to many use cases. However, one of the reasons why this particular object-oriented language is included at the top of this list is that it is one of the most important languages for machine learning and data science. Chances are good that you won't find a language better suited for both of these purposes. And with ML and DS continuing to expand their importance in technology, Python will continue to become more popular. Of course, Python has many different applications as a general-purpose language. And it is routinely ranked as one of, if not the most popular and beloved languages in the world among developers of all levels. #3 C++C++ is one of the few languages used to build compilers and interpreters that compile other programming languages. C++ includes the speed of C, with the addition of the basics of OOP, making it fast and flexible. One of the main reasons why C++ is so popular is that all operating systems are written with a combination of C and C++. Therefore, without C++, there would be no operating system to use C++ with. In other words, C++ is a crucial language for technology. C++ is also used to develop web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox and Safari. #4C#C# is another general-purpose OOP language. This language was developed by Microsoft in 2000 as part of the .NET initiative and shares some similarities with Java, C and C++. C# was also designed so that other languages can use it. One of the main uses of C# development services is for desktop and web applications, which makes it a very popular option for developers who want to create software with GUIs. However, one of the most popular uses of C# is in the gaming industry. The reason for this is that C# integrates easily with Windows. Because C# includes automatic garbage collection, has excellent developer tools, and is an OOP language, it will continue to dominate the game design industry. #5 RubyRuby is similar to Python in that it is a general-purpose language. Purpose-built for simplicity, completeness, extensibility, and portability, Ruby is an open-source, interpreted OOP language that can be used across multiple platforms. Ruby uses a very simple syntax and can be easily learned by anyone who has ever worked with a modern programming language. It has the ease of use of Perl, but adds the full complement of OOP concepts to the mix. Ruby is often used for front and backend development and can be applied in the areas of data analysis, prototyping and proof of concepts. #6 PHPObject-oriented programming capabilities have been added to PHP5, lending the server-side scripting language more functions to help you build web applications. PHP has been around for decades and has long established itself as the best choice for web applications. However, in recent years, other programming languages have emerged as popular competitors for this space. One complaint is that PHP has poor performance compared to some alternatives. #7 TypescriptTypeScript is a web development programming language built on top of JavaScript that extends the latter language by adding static typing. It transpiles to JavaScript and can be used anywhere the previous language is used. In turn, all JavaScript programs can also be TypeScript programs. It was developed and continues to be maintained by Microsoft and is free and open source. It is mainly used to develop large applications. ConclusionObject-oriented programming languages will continue to play a crucial role in the domain of software development. If you really want to be a part of this ever-growing field or are looking to hire the best offshore developers, you cannot ignore OOP languages in the modern era of programming. Any of the languages above would be a great place to start your OOP journey. OOP Languages FAQHow would a developer determine which OOP language or tool to use?As is the case when selecting any programming language for your project, there are several considerations when determining which object-oriented programming language a developer should choose. For example, they should think about the type of application, the level of security they need, and the pros and cons of each language they are considering. What is the best object oriented programming language?Although there is no best object-oriented programming language, Java and Python are perhaps the most widely used among object-oriented languages. Is JavaScript an object oriented programming language?JavaScript is a prototype-based object-oriented programming language. This means that it uses objects as models and does not have classes, but defines behaviors. Why are OOP concepts used?OOP concepts are used in programming because they offer a large number of benefits. These advantages include:
Why is OOP considered the most modern class of programming language?Object-oriented programming can be considered a modern type of program by many because it adds layers of efficiency, including reusable code and easy maintenance. It is one of the most popular paradigms to emerge, and many of the most used programming languages in the world, including Python and Java, are OOP languages. This is why so many large companies use this type of language. However, OOP has its detractors. Some argue that it is too complex, for example. Source: BairesDev |
