What is object-oriented programming?
Object-oriented programming organizes code into objects that hold data and actions.
Big programs get messy fast. Object-oriented programming, or OOP, is one of the most common ways to keep them organized.
What it is
OOP organizes code into objects. An object bundles some data with the actions that work on that data. A car object might hold its speed, and know how to accelerate.
How it works
You write a class, which is a blueprint. Then you create objects from it: three cars, each with its own speed. Classes can inherit from other classes: a truck is a car with a cargo bed. And objects hide their insides, so other code just calls accelerate, without poking at the engine.
Why it matters
It lets big teams split a system into pieces that each own their own data. Java, C#, Python and plenty of other languages are built around it.
