What Is the Difference Between Object Oriented Programming and Object Based Programming?
When it comes to programming paradigms, two terms that often come up are Object Oriented Programming (OOP) and Object Based Programming (OBP). While they may sound similar, there are key differences between the two. In this article, we will explore these differences and understand when to use each approach.
Object Oriented Programming (OOP)
OOP is a programming paradigm that revolves around the concept of objects. In OOP, everything is treated as an object, which can have its own properties and behaviors. The four main principles of OOP are encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, and abstraction.
- Encapsulation: This principle refers to the bundling of data and methods within an object, providing access control through modifiers like public, private, and protected.
- Inheritance: Inheritance allows objects to inherit properties and behaviors from parent objects or classes. It promotes code reusability.
- Polymorphism: Polymorphism enables objects to take on multiple forms based on their context. It allows different objects or classes to respond differently to the same method call.
- Abstraction: Abstraction focuses on hiding unnecessary details and complexity by providing simplified interfaces for interacting with objects.
OOP languages such as Java, C++, and Python fully support these principles. They provide rich features for defining classes, creating objects from those classes, and implementing OOP concepts effectively.
Object Based Programming (OBP)
In contrast to OOP, OBP does not support all four principles mentioned above. While OBP also deals with objects, it lacks some key features like inheritance and polymorphism.
OBP languages like JavaScript and VBScript are object-based because they allow the creation of objects and the manipulation of their properties and methods. However, they do not have a strong class hierarchy or support for inheritance.
Key Differences
Now that we have a basic understanding of OOP and OBP let’s summarize the key differences between them:
- Support for Inheritance: OOP supports inheritance, while OBP does not have a strong hierarchical structure.
- Polymorphism: Polymorphism is a core concept in OOP but is not fully supported in OBP.
- Class Hierarchy: OOP languages have a well-defined class hierarchy, whereas OBP languages do not emphasize this concept.
When to Use Which Approach?
If you require the full power of encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, and abstraction, OOP is the way to go. It provides a robust framework for building complex applications and promotes code reuse through inheritance. Use languages like Java or C++ for such scenarios.
If you need simpler object manipulation without complex class hierarchies or if you are working with scripting languages like JavaScript, VBScript or PHP where inheritance is often less important, then you can opt for an object-based approach. It allows you to create objects and use their properties and methods without worrying about strict class structures.
In conclusion, both Object Oriented Programming (OOP) and Object Based Programming (OBP) have their own merits based on the requirements of your project. Understanding these differences will help you choose the right programming approach for your specific needs.