object oriented programming (OOP)

Definition

Programming paradigm that views a computer program as a combination of data structures (called objects) which can exchange information in a standardized manner, and can be combined with one another as modules or blocks. Each object is independent (can be changed without affecting other blocks), can run (execute) by itself, and can be interlocked with other objects. Objects interact by passing information among each other, and each object contains information about itself (a property called encapsulation) and the objects it can interact with (a property called Inheritance). Major OOP-oriented languages are C++, Java, and Smalltalk.