Object Oriented

Programming with
C++
Create Your First Class
Objects and Classes
• Classes: Where Objects Come from
• A class is code that describes a particular type of object. It specifics
the data that an object can hold (the object’s fields), and the actions
that an object can perform (the object’s methods)
• You can think of a class as a code “blueprint” that can be used to
create a particular type of object.
• When a program is running, it can use the class to create, in
memory, as many objects of a specific type as needed.
• Each object that is created from a class is called an instance of
the class.
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Objects and Classes
Classes in College Management Program

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Objects and Classes
= Ayham
= 1005
= 1/3/2003
= Amman
= 3.5
=2 Student 1 : Ayham

= Tala
Three Objects,
= 1032
= 5/9/2002
each object is
an instance
= Amman
=4
=3 Student 2 : Tala
from “Student”
class

= Rayan
= 1632
= 5/8/2004
= Amman

Class
= 3.7
=1 Student 3 : Rayan

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Writing a Class, Step by Step
• A Rectangle object will have the following fields and methods

fields

methods

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My First C++ Class
class Rectangle
{

};

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My First C++ Class
class Rectangle
{
private:
float length;
float width;
};

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My First C++ Class
class Rectangle
{
private: Access Modifier
float length;
float width;
};

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My First C++ Class
Access Method
specifier name
Return
type

public:
void setLength(float len)

Parameter variable declaration

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My First C++ Class
class Rectangle
{
private:
float length;
float width;
public:
void setLength(float len)
{
if (len >= 0)
length = len;
else
cout << “Error, please enter positive value”;
}
};
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Microsoft Visual Studio 2022

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My First C++ Class
class Rectangle
{
private:
float length;
float width;
public:
void setLength(float len)
{
if (len >= 0)
length = len;
else
cout << “Error, please enter positive value”;
}
};
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Creating Rectangle Object

When create the Rectangle class, the Rectangle become a

new type in C++. In C++, classes are considered as new
(custom) types that can be added to existing types in C++
language.

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Creating Rectangle Object
When create the Rectangle class, the Rectangle become a new
type in C++. In C++, classes are considered as new (custom) types
that can be added to existing types in C++ language.

Variable name

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Creating Rectangle Object

A Rectangle object

box
The box variable length: 0.0
holds the address address
of the Rectangle width: 0.0
object.

memory space
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Creating Rectangle Object

The methods
that appear in
the popup
menu are the
public methods
that belong to
Rectangle class.

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Creating Rectangle Object

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More Examples

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More Examples
(-) indicates “private”: in general all attributes should be “private”
(+) indicates “public”: in general, all methods should be “public”

“private” attributes

“public” methods

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 More Examples

Setter, Mutator

Getter, Accessor

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Separating class code into two
files
• The class code can be separated into two files:
1. Header file (.h)
2. Implementation file (.cpp)

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Separating class code into two
files
• The class code can be separated into two files:
1. Header file (.h)
1. Contains the declaration of all the class members.
2. Only attributes declaration and methods prototypes.
2. Implementation file (.cpp)

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Separating class code into two
files
Rectangle.h
• The class code can be separated
into two files:
1. Header file (.h)
1. Contains the declaration of
all the class members.
2. Only attributes declaration
and methods prototypes.
2. Implementation file (.cpp)

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Separating class code into two
files Rectangle.cpp

• The class code can be separated into

two files:
1. Header file (.h)
2. Implementation file (.cpp)
• Contains the implementation of
the class methods.

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Separating class code into two
files
• The class code can be separated into two files:
1. Header file (.h)
1. Contains the declaration of all the class members.
2. Only attributes declaration and methods prototypes.
2. Implementation file (.cpp)
• Contains the implementation of the class methods.

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Separating class code into two
files
main.cpp
• The class code can be
separated into two files:
1. Header file (.h)
2. Implementation file (.cpp)
• Client code
• Client code, is the one
that includes the main
function. This file should
be stored by the name
“main.cpp”.

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Separating class code into two
files main.cpp

Rectangle.cpp

Rectangle.h

output

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Why Separating class code into
two files
• The class code can be separated into two files: Header file
(.h) and Implementation file (.cpp)

• Advantages:
1. Hide your implementation from other developers.
2. More organized

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Review (main points)
• Classes and objects are the two main aspects of object-
oriented programming.
• A class is a template for objects, and an object is an
instance of a class.

class Apple class

Banana
Fruit
Mango
Car

objects
objects 29
Review (main points)
• Classes and objects are the two main aspects of object-
oriented programming.
• A class is a template for objects, and an object is an
instance of a class.
• When the individual objects are created, they take all the
variables and functions from the class.

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Review (main points)
• Protection Levels:
• When we design a class we can control how member functions and data of that class can be
accessed.
• Each member of the class is assigned a protection level:
• Private Members : Object data and functions that can be accessed only from within
member functions of the object.
• Public Members : Object data and functions that can be accessed from both outside and
inside the member functions of the object.
• The primary purpose of protection levels is to allow programmers to provide an unchanging
public interface for a class while being able to modify the way the class is implemented without
breaking code that uses the class.
• This is a mechanism for information hiding.

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Review (main points)
• Protection Levels (cont.):
• Reasons for data hiding (private members):
• Makes interface simpler for user.
• Principle of least privileged (need-to-know)
• More secure. Less chance for misuse (accidental or malicious).
• Class implementation easy to change without affecting other modules that use it.
• If protection levels not given, members default to private.

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