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OCR A Level Computer Science Your notes

2.5 Object Oriented Languages

Contents
Classes (OOP)
Objects (OOP)
Methods (OOP)
Attributes (OOP)
Inheritance (OOP)
Encapsulation (OOP)
Polymorphism (OOP)

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Classes (OOP)
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Classes (OOP)
What is a Class?
Classes are used as blueprints or templates that can be used to create objects within Object Oriented
Programming or OOP
An object is created from a specific instance of a class and has its own state and behaviours
Using this method allows for reusable and organised code in a modular way
Consider a class of students
Each student has a name, a date of birth and gender
Therefore we can create a blueprint or template for all students by making a class which contains these
three attributes
As each student (or object) is created they will each have their own name, date of birth and gender
attributes along with their own state for example
Name “John”
Date of birth “06/10/2015”
Gender “Male”
Some classes are already prebuilt into a programming language saving the developer from having to
write them from scratch and often provide common functionality
Examples from Java include:
Date and calendar when working with dates
String when working with strings of text
Random when generating random numbers
Scanner when reading input from a user or file
Custom classes are created by the programmer to define new data types
For example, a class for animals does not exist and so the programmer must define a custom class

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Instantiation is the term used for creating an object from a class

Each class contains attributes which are essentially variables within a class and are also known as Class Your notes
Variables
Objects that are created from a class contain attributes which are also known as instance variables
Classes can also contain methods/functions/procedures
Methods are actions or behaviours that can be performed
The name that is used to refer to an object is known as the identifier
Below is a visual representation of both a class and objects that have been instantiated
In the image below, the identifiers are P1 and P2

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Your notes

Example of a class and objects

EXAM TIP
Although you may see the terms methods/functions/ procedures, a method can be either a
function or a procedure
A function is a method that must return a value
A procedure is a method that does not need to return a value

WORKED EXAMPLE

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What is a class in object-oriented programming (OOP) ?

[2] Your notes
How to answer this question:
Classes provide a way to organize code in a modular way [1]
A blueprint or template for creating objects with specific attributes [1]
Answer:
Example answer to get full marks:
A class is acts as a blueprint or template for creating objects with specific attributes [1 mark], while
also providing a way to organize code in a modular fashion. [1 mark]

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Objects (OOP)
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Objects (OOP)
What is an Object?
An object is a representation of a real-world entity eg teacher, aeroplane, mobile phone, cat etc
A class is like a blueprint that describes the properties and behaviours of objects, while an object is a
specific instance created based on that blueprint with its own unique values for the properties
A constructor is a special method within a class that is automatically called when an object of that class
is created (instantiated)
Constructors typically define the initial values of instance variables and perform any necessary setup
to prepare the object for use

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Your notes

Example of 2 objects belonging to a class

WORKED EXAMPLE
A supermarket uses an object-oriented approach to organise items that it offers for sale. Part of
the class definition for the ItemForSale class is shown below:
class ItemForSale
public itemName
public price
public discount

Write a line of code to create an object of type ItemForSale called mushypeas that has a name of
“mushy peas” and a price of £0.89

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[3]
How to answer this question: Your notes
Creating object with identifier
mushypeas =
creating object as type
ItemForSale
mark for parameters passed in as needed ("mushy peas",0.89) [1 mark]
Answer:
Example answer 1 to get full marks:
mushypeas=new ItemForSale("mushy peas", 0.89)

Example answer 2 to get full marks:

ItemForSale mushypeas = ItemForSale(“mushy peas”,0.89);

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Methods (OOP)
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Methods (OOP)
What is a Method?
Methods are fundamental in object-oriented programming (OOP) and are functions associated with
objects or classes that define the behaviour and actions that objects can perform
There are two main types of methods:
A function
A function performs a task and returns a value
A procedure
A procedure performs a task buts does nor return a value
For example, there are many different types of aircraft which all differ in design, but all require a ‘take
off’ and ‘landing’ method
An example of an aircraft class with both attributes and methods is shown below:

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Example class for "aircraft" containing several methods

Each object that is created from the aircraft class will have: Your notes
A manufacturer value to determine the company that created the aircraft
A model name for the type of aircraft
A value for passenger capacity to determine how many people it can carry
A speed value to determine its maximum speed
Any objects that are created for the aircraft class also have access to the following Methods:
A take off method to get the plane airborne
A land method to land the plane safely
A bank left method to allow the plane to turn to the left
A bank right method to allow the plane to tur to the right
As you can image for an aircraft there would be many more methods that could be implemented such
emergency landing and altitude cruising actions
Once objects have been created, they can use the methods from within their class by using the dot (.)
notation
As these methods are associated with objects, they are called instance methods
For example if an object has been created as below:
jumboJet = new aircraft (“Boeing”, ”747”, 416, 547)
It can use methods by doing the following:
Objectname.Methodname:
For example: jumboJet.Takeoff()

EXAM TIP
In some OOP languages there are both instance methods and static methods
Instance methods
Instance methods are associated with individual instances (objects) of a class. They
operate on the specific data and properties of an object (see above on the Jumbo Jet

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object example)
Static methods
Your notes
Static methods are associated with a class itself and can be called without creating an
instance (object) of the class

Public and private methods

When declaring methods, it is important to determine how they can be accessed:

Public Methods Private Methods

Accessible and can be invoked by any code Private methods are only accessible within the same
within the same class or from any external class and cannot be invoked by external code or other
classes classes

Changes to public methods may have an Changes to private methods have a localized impact
impact on other parts of the codebase, so since they are only used internally within the class,
they should be carefully designed, providing flexibility to modify or refactor them without
documented, and backward compatible affecting other parts of the program
whenever possible

Public methods are used when you want to Private methods are used when you have internal
provide access to certain functionalities or implementation details that should not be accessed or
behaviours of an object or class to other parts used by external code. They are meant to be used only
of your program within the class itself for organizing and managing the
code internally

EXAM TIP
If a method does not specify the keyword public or private then its default value is set to public.

WORKED EXAMPLE
An object oriented system is implemented to organise further information about each worker’s
attendance. Classes, objects, methods and attributes are used in this system.
State the meaning of a method
[1]

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How to answer this question:

A clear definition of a method Your notes
The purpose of methods in OOP
Answer:
Example answer to get full marks:
A method is a function that belongs to a class and operates on its instance data, allowing objects to
perform actions and behaviours. [1]

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Attributes (OOP)
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Attributes (OOP)
What is an Attribute?
In object-oriented programming (OOP), an attribute refers to a data member or a property associated
with an object or a class
They define the state of an object and can have different values for different instances of the same
class
Attributes can be of various data types, such as integers, strings, Booleans, or even other objects
Attributes can have different access rights
The example below shows a Car class object with an attribute called manufacturer
It has a private access meaning that it can be accessed only by instances of the Car class
The data that this attribute will hold must be of the String data type
The image below gives a visual representation of an object of this class being instantiated with a data
value of “Ford” :

An example instance of an object

In most cases each class has many different attributes

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Below is an example of an object of class "person":

Your notes

Example of an object of class "person"

EXAM TIP
Attributes declared within methods (local variables) cannot have access modifiers because
they are local to the method and have a limited scope
Local variables are only accessible within the block or method in which they are declared. They
are not part of the class's state and cannot be accessed from other methods or classes

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Inheritance (OOP)
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Inheritance (OOP)
What is Inheritance?
Inheritance is a key concept in object-oriented programming (OOP) that allows a class to inherit the
properties and behaviours (methods and attributes) of another class
Inheritance promotes code reuse by allowing derived classes to inherit and utilise the existing code
from the base class. This avoids duplicating code and promotes better organization and
maintainability
Inheritance establishes an "IS-A" relationship between the base class and the derived class
For example, if you have a base class called Vehicle and a derived class called Car, you can say that "a
Car is a Vehicle."
The car class inherits the properties and behaviours associated with being a vehicle
Inheritance involves two main entities:
The base class (also known as the parent class or superclass) and the derived class (also known as
the child class or subclass)
The derived class inherits the characteristics of the base class, meaning it can access and use the
methods and attributes defined in the base class

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Your notes

Example of a base class and derived classes

Base Class: The base class serves as the blueprint or template from which the derived class inherits
It defines common properties and behaviours that can be shared among multiple derived classes
Derived Class: The derived class inherits the attributes and methods of the base class
It can add additional attributes and methods
If a car object was to be created, it may have the following attributes:

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Manufacturer - The company that makes the car

Make -The model of the car Your notes
Cost – The price of the car to purchase
IsInsured – Whether or not the car is insured
EngineCapacity – The size of the engine for the car
It may also have access to the following methods:
TurnEngineOn() – To start the car engine
TurnEngineOff() – To turn off the car engine
SteerLeft() – To turn the car to the left
SteerRight() – To steer the car to the left
GearChange() – To change the gear of the car
UnlockDoors() – To unlock the doors to the car
The above methods are only a select few and there could be many more added for extra functionality
In the following code, the super keyword is used in inheritance to refer to the superclass (Base class:
Vehicles) and access its members (methods, attributes, or constructors) from within the subclass
(Derived Class: Cars)

WORKED EXAMPLE
The classes office and house inherit from building.
Describe what is meant by inheritance with reference to these classes.
[2]
How to answer this question:
1 mark per bullet up to a maximum of 2 marks, e.g:
When the child/derived/subclass class office/house takes on attributes/methods…
… from building / parent/base/superclass/ class
Answer:
Example answer to get full marks:

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When the derived classes "office" and "house" inherit attributes/methods [1] from the "building"
base class, they gain access to the properties and behaviours defined in the "building" class. [1]
Your notes

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Encapsulation (OOP)
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Encapsulation (OOP)
What is Encapsulation?
Encapsulation in object-oriented programming is the practice of bundling data (attributes) and
methods (functions) together within a class
Using encapsulation ensures that data remains secure and is not accidentally modified or misused by
controlling access to them using access modifiers (e.g., public, private)
It also helps to organize code by keeping related data and methods together within an object
Encapsulation promotes code reusability, which means the same object or class can be used in
different parts of a program without rewriting the code
Encapsulation uses a concept called “Abstraction” which reduces complexity by hiding the
implementation details of the object, making it easier to understand and work with
Programmers can use methods and classes from other parts of the program without having to
understand how that it has been constructed internally

Encapsulation in Classes
Private variables are only accessible within the class itself, and external code cannot access them
directly.
Encapsulation hides how things work inside a class from the outside. External code can interact with
the class using public methods without needing to understand its internal details

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Encapsulation in classes

Encapsulation in Methods Your notes

Encapsulation in methods

EXAM TIP
When determining whether a method or attribute is public or private, if neither keyword
appears, then assume it is public

WORKED EXAMPLE
A taxi firm is investigating replacing its drivers with self-driving cars.
The code for the self-driving system has been written using an object-oriented programming
language.
It recognises obstacles in the road and then classifies them.
The class for Obstacle is shown below.
public class Obstacle

private moving //Boolean value

private distance //Real number given in metres

private direction //Integer given as between 1 and 360 degrees

public procedure new(givenMoving, givenDistance, givenDirection)

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moving=givenMoving

distance=givenDistance Your notes

direction=givenDirection

endprocedure

public procedure updateDistance(givenDistance)

distance=givenDistance

endprocedure

endclass

Describe an example of encapsulation in the class definition code above.

[2]
How to answer the question:
Stating that distance is set to private [1 mark]
To update the value the method updateDistance must be used [1 mark]
Answer:
Example answer that gets full marks:
An example of encapsulation in the class definition code above is demonstrated through the
attribute "distance" being declared as private. [1].
The "updateDistance()" method serves as a public interface to modify the "distance" attribute. [1]

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Polymorphism (OOP)
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Polymorphism (OOP)
What is Polymorphism?
Polymorphism is a concept in programming that allows objects to take on different forms or
behaviours.
Different objects can share the same name or behaviour but can work in different ways
It helps make code more flexible, reusable, and easier to maintain
It allows flexibility and reusability in programming, making it easier to write and manage code
Objects can be treated as belonging to a common group, even if they belong to different classes,
making your code more versatile and adaptable to changes

Example 1 – Method Overloading

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Your notes

Method Overloading Example 1

In the example above, all three classes all have a method named move(). Polymorphism allows methods
to be declared with the same name but execute different code (in this case printing different
messages)
The override keyword Is used to provide a new implementation for a method that is already defined in
the parent class (base class)

Example 2 - Method Overloading

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Your notes

Method Overloading Example 2

In the above example both the Motorcycle class and the Car class both inherit from the base class
'Cars'
Objects from the Motorcycle Class and the Car class can call the startEngines() method which will output
"Engines Started!"

If either of the object types call the displayInfo() method, the program will execute the method from the
objects class as it overrides the Vehicle class method

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For example
If a motorcycle object calls the displayInfo() method, "I am a Motorcycle!" will be output Your notes
If a Car object calls the displayInfo() method, "I am a Car!" will be output
Treating objects as common groups
Polymorphism also allows objects of different classes to be treated as objects of a common
superclass or base class
For example:
Vehicle vehicle1 = new Car()

Vehicle vehicle2 = new Motorcycle()

This allows an array of type Vehicle to store both Motorcycle and Car objects rather than in separate
data structures
If the vehicle1.displayInfo() method is called, it will still output "I am a Car!"
If the vehicle2.displayInfo() method is called, it will still output "I am a Motorcycle!"
This flexibility provided by polymorphism are essential for creating more maintainable and modular
code

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