Object Oriented vs. Procedural

Attribute	Object Oriented	Procedural
Focus	Objects and classes	Functions and procedures
Data Encapsulation	Encapsulates data within objects	Data is not encapsulated
Inheritance	Supports inheritance	Does not support inheritance
Polymorphism	Supports polymorphism	Does not support polymorphism
Code Reusability	Encourages code reusability through classes and objects	Code reusability is limited

Introduction

Object Oriented Programming (OOP) and Procedural Programming are two popular programming paradigms used in software development. Each has its own set of attributes and advantages, making them suitable for different types of projects. In this article, we will compare the attributes of Object Oriented and Procedural Programming to help you understand the differences between the two.

Code Organization

In Procedural Programming, code is organized around procedures or functions. These procedures are a series of steps that are executed in a specific order to achieve a desired outcome. On the other hand, Object Oriented Programming organizes code around objects, which are instances of classes that encapsulate data and behavior. This allows for a more modular and reusable code structure, as objects can be easily reused in different parts of the program.

Data Abstraction

Procedural Programming focuses on procedures and functions that manipulate data. Data is often stored in global variables or passed as parameters to functions. In contrast, Object Oriented Programming emphasizes data abstraction, where data is encapsulated within objects and accessed through methods. This provides a higher level of security and control over data, as objects can define their own data and behavior.

Inheritance

One of the key features of Object Oriented Programming is inheritance, which allows classes to inherit attributes and methods from other classes. This promotes code reusability and helps in creating a hierarchical structure of classes. In Procedural Programming, inheritance is not a built-in feature, and code reuse is achieved through functions and procedures that can be called from different parts of the program.

Polymorphism

Polymorphism is another important concept in Object Oriented Programming, where objects of different classes can be treated as objects of a common superclass. This allows for flexibility in designing and implementing classes, as different objects can respond to the same method in different ways. In Procedural Programming, polymorphism can be achieved through function overloading or using conditional statements to handle different cases.

Encapsulation

Encapsulation is the practice of bundling data and methods that operate on the data into a single unit, known as a class. This helps in hiding the internal implementation details of a class and only exposing the necessary interfaces to the outside world. Procedural Programming does not have built-in support for encapsulation, as data and functions are often defined separately and can be accessed from anywhere in the program.

Code Reusability

Object Oriented Programming promotes code reusability through the use of classes and objects. Once a class is defined, it can be instantiated multiple times to create objects that share the same attributes and methods. This reduces code duplication and makes it easier to maintain and update the codebase. In Procedural Programming, code reusability is achieved through functions and procedures that can be called from different parts of the program.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Object Oriented Programming and Procedural Programming have their own strengths and weaknesses. Object Oriented Programming is well-suited for projects that require code organization, data abstraction, inheritance, polymorphism, encapsulation, and code reusability. On the other hand, Procedural Programming is more suitable for smaller projects that do not require complex data structures and relationships between objects. Ultimately, the choice between Object Oriented and Procedural Programming depends on the specific requirements of the project and the preferences of the developer.