What is Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)? What are the main principles of OOP? What is the difference between Method Overloading and Method Overriding?

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP):

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) is a programming paradigm based on the concept of "objects", which can contain data in the form of fields (often known as attributes or properties) and code in the form of procedures (often known as methods). OOP focuses on organizing software design around data or objects, rather than functions and logic, making complex programs more modular, reusable, flexible, and easier to maintain.

Main Principles of OOP:

The four main fundamental principles (pillars) of Object-Oriented Programming are:

  
• Encapsulation: The practice of bundling data (variables) and the methods that operate on that data into a single unit or class, while restricting direct access to some of the object's components (data hiding) to prevent unintended modification.
  
• Abstraction: The process of hiding internal implementation details and showing only the necessary and relevant features to the user. This reduces complexity and allows developers to focus on interaction rather than implementation.
  
• Inheritance: A mechanism where a new class (child/subclass) derives properties and behaviors (methods) from an existing class (parent/superclass). It promotes code reusability and establishes a hierarchical relationship between classes.
  
• Polymorphism: The ability of a method, object, or function to take on multiple forms. It allows one interface to be used for a general class of actions, with specific actions determined by the exact nature of the situation (e.g., compile-time and run-time polymorphism).

Difference between Method Overloading and Method Overriding: