---
title: "The Fundamental Pillars of Object-Oriented Programming"
description: "Explore the core principles of object-oriented programming (OOP)."
image: "https://assets.bytebytego.com/diagrams/0197-4-fundamental-pillars-of-object-oriented-programming.png"
createdAt: "2024-03-06"
draft: false
categories:
  - software-development
tags:
  - OOP
  - Principles
---

![](https://assets.bytebytego.com/diagrams/0197-4-fundamental-pillars-of-object-oriented-programming.png)

Abstraction, Encapsulation, Inheritance, and Polymorphism are the four pillars of object-oriented programming. What do they mean?

## Abstraction

This is the process of hiding implementation details and showing only the essential features of an object. For example, a Vehicle class with an abstract stop method.

## Encapsulation

It involves wrapping data (fields) and methods in a single unit (class) and restricting direct access using access modifiers. For example, private fields with public getters and setters.

## Inheritance

The process of creating a new class (child) that inherits attributes and methods from an existing class (parent), thereby promoting code reuse. For example, a Car class inherits from a Vehicle class.

## Polymorphism

It allows methods to perform differently based on the object they are invoked on. When two types share an inheritance chain, they can be used interchangeably with no errors.