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            <a href="index.html" class="icon icon-home"> Python Like You Mean It
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              <p class="caption" role="heading"><span class="caption-text">Table of Contents:</span></p>
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<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="intro.html">Python Like You Mean It</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="module_1.html">Module 1: Getting Started with Python</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="module_2.html">Module 2: The Essentials of Python</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="module_2_problems.html">Module 2: Problems</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="module_3.html">Module 3: The Essentials of NumPy</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="module_3_problems.html">Module 3: Problems</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l1 current"><a class="current reference internal" href="#">Module 4: Object Oriented Programming</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Introduction_to_OOP.html">Introduction to Object Oriented Programming</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/ClassDefinition.html">Defining a New Class of Object</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/ClassInstances.html">Instances of a Class</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Brief_Review.html">A Brief Summary of Terms and Concepts</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Methods.html">Methods</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Applications_of_OOP.html">Applications of Object Oriented Programming</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Special_Methods.html">Special Methods</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Inheritance.html">Inheritance</a></li>
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<div class="section" id="module-4-object-oriented-programming">
<h1>Module 4: Object Oriented Programming<a class="headerlink" href="#module-4-object-oriented-programming" title="Permalink to this headline"></a></h1>
<p>In this module, we will come to see that Python is an object-oriented language. That is, the language is all about defining different types of objects that encapsulate data, and that possess functions that permit users to access and manipulate this data. Our tour through <a class="reference external" href="https://www.pythonlikeyoumeanit.com/module_2.html">the essentials of Python</a> and <a class="reference external" href="https://www.pythonlikeyoumeanit.com/module_3.html">the essentials of NumPy</a> brought us into contact with various types of objects, such as the <code class="code docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">int</span></code>, <code class="code docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">str</span></code>, <code class="code docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">list</span></code>, <code class="code docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">tuple</span></code>, <code class="code docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">dict</span></code>, and the <code class="code docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">numpy.ndarray</span></code>, to name a few. We have seen that these different types of objects have starkly different functionality from one another. We will study the syntax and constructs for creating and interacting with objects in Python. Ultimately, will find our skill sets as Python-users much fuller and more sophisticated having understood object-oriented programming in Python.</p>
<p>We begin this module by establishing some key terminology for discussing object-oriented programming, drawing attention to the important fact that the terms ‘class’ and ‘type’ mean the same thing in modern Python. Next, we study the syntax for defining a class, and take time to distinguish between the resulting class object and the subsequent class instances that can then be created. Having defined our first custom class of object, we then study the syntax for defining class-methods, which permits us to add customized functionality to our class. Further, we will introduce ourselves to Python’s reserved special methods, which empower us to fully interface our class with Python’s protocols for behaving like a sequence, an iterable, a function, etc. We conclude this module with a brief discussion of the concept of inheritance, which is a mechanism by which a new class can inherit attributes from an existing class.</p>
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<p class="caption" role="heading"><span class="caption-text">Contents:</span></p>
<ul>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Introduction_to_OOP.html">Introduction to Object Oriented Programming</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Introduction_to_OOP.html#Class-vs-Type:-An-Important-Note-on-Terminology">Class vs Type: An Important Note on Terminology</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Introduction_to_OOP.html#Links-to-Official-Documentation">Links to Official Documentation</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/ClassDefinition.html">Defining a New Class of Object</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/ClassDefinition.html#The-General-Form-of-a-Class-Definition">The General Form of a Class Definition</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/ClassDefinition.html#Working-with-Object-Attributes">Working with Object Attributes</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/ClassDefinition.html#Links-to-Official-Documentation">Links to Official Documentation</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/ClassDefinition.html#Reading-Comprehension-Solutions">Reading Comprehension Solutions</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/ClassInstances.html">Instances of a Class</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/ClassInstances.html#Object-Identity-and-Creating-an-Instance">Object Identity and Creating an Instance</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/ClassInstances.html#Defining-Instance-Level-Attributes:-the-__init__-Method">Defining Instance-Level Attributes: the <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">__init__</span></code> Method</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/ClassInstances.html#Reading-Comprehension-Solutions">Reading Comprehension Solutions</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Brief_Review.html">A Brief Summary of Terms and Concepts</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Methods.html">Methods</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Methods.html#Instance-Methods">Instance Methods</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Methods.html#Class-Methods">Class Methods</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Methods.html#Static-Methods">Static Methods</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Methods.html#Reading-Comprehension-Solutions">Reading Comprehension Solutions</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Applications_of_OOP.html">Applications of Object Oriented Programming</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Applications_of_OOP.html#Shopping-List">Shopping List</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Special_Methods.html">Special Methods</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Special_Methods.html#String-Representations-of-Objects">String-Representations of Objects</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Special_Methods.html#Interfacing-with-Mathematical-Operators">Interfacing with Mathematical Operators</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Special_Methods.html#Creating-a-Container-Like-Class">Creating a Container-Like Class</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Special_Methods.html#Links-to-Official-Documentation">Links to Official Documentation</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Inheritance.html">Inheritance</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Inheritance.html#Summary-of-Inheritance">Summary of Inheritance</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="Module4_OOP/Inheritance.html#Links-to-Official-Documentation">Links to Official Documentation</a></li>
</ul>
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</ul>
</div>
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