Class Vs. Object: What are the Differences?
class is a blueprint or template for creating objects in object-oriented programming and bjects are the instances of class. In this article we will expore Class Vs. Object. We will encover the differences with programming examples.
Classes are a programming concept that’s used extensively in many modern languages. Objects are the result of a class’s execution; they’re the output of a class’s method. In other words, classes are used to create objects. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Understanding when and how to use each is essential to creating software.
Classes are the most common software development concept used today. They’re used to divide up tasks and create different software applications. They’re also used to modularize software and make it more stable. Objects are the outputs of a class’s methods. In other words, classes are used to create objects. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Understanding when and how to use each is essential to creating software.
Objects are dynamic, whereas classes are static. Objects are created on demand, whereas classes are pre-made and can’t be modified later. This makes objects far more flexible, allowing them to be more dynamic than classes. Let’s find out the difference between Class and object.
Table of contents
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Differences between Class and Object
| Parameter | Class | Object |
| Definition | A blueprint or template for creating objects | An instance or realization of a class |
| Purpose | Describes the properties and behaviors of objects | Represents a specific entity or instance |
| Creation | Class is created once and can be used to create multiple objects | Object is created using a class and exists in memory |
| Members | Can have both static (shared) and non-static members | Can only access the non-static members of the class |
| Access | Can be inherited by other classes | Cannot be inherited by other objects |
| Usage | Used as a blueprint to create objects and define their properties and behaviors | Represents individual entities or instances in a program |
| Relationships | Can have relationships with other classes through inheritance and composition | Can have relationships with other objects through references or associations |
| Lifetime | Exists throughout the execution of a program | Created, used, and destroyed during the program execution |
What is a Class?
A class is like a container that holds data variables and functions.
A class is a user-defined data type that holds together variables and member functions that can be accessed through an object. So what is an object? We’ll cover that later in this blog. But remember that a class is a group of objects of the same type. For example, if I have a class name student with various attributes like name, roll number, age, etc. You need an object to access or provide the values of these attributes.
Take another example. You might have a class called “Dog” that defines the attributes/properties of a dog, such as a breed and age, and the methods a dog can perform, such as barking. You can then create multiple objects of the Dog class, each with its unique values for breed and age.
In short, Class defines what an object should look like and how it should behave, and an object is a specific class instance.
Let’s see syntax examples of Classes in C++ and Python.
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C++
class MyClass { public: int data_member1; int data_member2; Void func() { cout<< data_member1<< endl; cout<< data_member2<< endl; }}Obj 1;
Python
class MyClass:
def __init__(self, data_member1, data_member2): self. data_member1 = x self. data_member2 = y
def print_values(self): print(self. data_member1) print(self. data_member2)
obj = MyClass(5, 10)obj.print_values()
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Why are Classes used to create Custom Objects?
A common reason for defining object types is to encapsulate related data in an object that can be viewed as a unit. Instead of declaring some variables, you can declare a class that defines their properties. Now you can create an object of the Class with which these variables are associated. As in the above example, we can see that to access data, members of Class MyClass. We have to make an object and then assign the values to it.
What is an object?
An object is an instance of a class.
As mentioned above, classes have variables and functions. Do you have direct access? To do this, we need to create an object of this Class. So an object is an instance of a class. Objects are created from classes. Objects are declared the same way variables are declared. The object name is prepended to the class name.
Let us see syntax examples of objects in different languages.
C++
int main() { Class_name object_name; object_name.data_member1 = 5; Object_name.data_member2 = 10; return 0;}
Python
object_name =class_name(5, 10)
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Also Read: Difference Between C and C++
Key differences between Class and object
- Classes are usually defined at the beginning of a program, while objects are usually created and used throughout the program.
- Classes do not consume memory space until and unless an object of the Class is created, while objects consume memory space.
- A class defines the properties and methods that an object of that Class will have, while an object is a specific instance of a class and has its unique values for those properties and methods.
- Classes are used to define the structure and behavior of objects, while objects are used to represent specific entities in a program.
- Classes are typically defined once and can be used to create multiple objects, while each is a unique class instance.
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Conclusion
Classes are used to create objects with their own properties and methods and can be interacted with independently of other objects. Understanding the distinction between classes and objects is crucial for understanding how object-oriented programming works and how to use it effectively in programming. If you liked this article, please do like and share it with your friends.
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