If you've never used an object-oriented programming language before,
you'll need to learn a few basic concepts before you can begin writing
any code. This lesson will introduce you to objects, classes,
inheritance, interfaces, and packages. Each discussion focuses on how
these concepts relate to the real world, while simultaneously providing
an introduction to the syntax of the Java programming language.
An object is a software bundle of related state and behavior.
Software objects are often used to model the real-world objects that you
find in everyday life. This lesson explains how state and behavior are
represented within an object, introduces the concept of data
encapsulation, and explains the benefits of designing your software in
this manner.
A class is a blueprint or prototype from which objects are created.
This section defines a class that models the state and behavior of a
real-world object. It intentionally focuses on the basics, showing how
even a simple class can cleanly model state and behavior.
Inheritance provides a powerful and natural mechanism for organizing
and structuring your software. This section explains how classes inherit
state and behavior from their superclasses, and explains how to derive
one class from another using the simple syntax provided by the Java
programming language.