1. Introduction: From Procedural to Object-Oriented Programming

1.1 What is Object-Oriented Programming? 
 Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) is a programming paradigm that organizes code around objects rather than functions and logic. An object is a data structure that contains both data (attributes) and code (methods) that operates on that data. 
 Key Paradigm Comparison: 
 
 
 
 Aspect 
 Procedural (C) 
 Object-Oriented (C++) 
 
 
 
 
 Focus 
 Functions and procedures 
 Objects and classes 
 
 
 Data & Functions 
 Separate 
 Bundled together 
 
 
 Code Organization 
 By functionality 
 By entities/objects 
 
 
 Data Protection 
 Limited (global/local) 
 Strong (access specifiers) 
 
 
 Code Reuse 
 Function reuse 
 Inheritance & polymorphism 
 
 
 Maintenance 
 Harder for large projects 
 Easier through modularity 
 
 
 
 1.2 The Four Pillars of OOP 
 
 Encapsulation : Bundling data and methods that operate on that data within a single unit (class), hiding internal details 
 Abstraction : Showing only essential features while hiding implementation details 
 Inheritance : Creating new classes from existing classes, promoting code reuse 
 Polymorphism : Ability of objects to take many forms, allowing different implementations of the same interface 
 
 1.3 Real-World Analogy 
 Think of a car : 
 
 Object : Your specific car (e.g., a red Toyota Camry 2020) 
 Class : The blueprint/design for all Toyota Camry cars 
 Attributes (data): color, model, year, speed, fuel level 
 Methods (functions): start(), accelerate(), brake(), turn() 
 Encapsulation : You don't need to know how the engine works internally; you just use the steering wheel and pedals 
 Abstraction : The dashboard shows you speed and fuel, hiding complex engine computations