For the balance of this course you will be developing your KNP project...but as you do, we will cover some of the terms that are important in OOP...and what better place to start from than... what is an Object?   

An 'object' is basically programming hiding in a 'box'. Almost every visual key you use in a software program is an object. Objects can be clicked, accessed via keyboard, by mouse-over, joystick, steering wheel...you name it!

Objects are accessed, created or deleted during program run-time. In other words they sit there doing nothing (except looking good!) until they receive an instruction. The tool bar at the top of your browser is an example of  an 'object'. Want to print this page? Click the print button. Need to read the page you were on before this? Click the back button. Objects are what you are used to using  when you use a program with as graphical user interface (GUI). You should never have to 'look inside' the box.

Objects 'interact' with the user, but they can also interact with each other and they can be put together in groups, collections, arrays or lists. 

Now, why do we say you shouldn't you need to look inside an object? Well, if you are the programmer, you may need to. In fact, you must! But if you are the end-user, you are probably only interested in achieving what you want right this minute. You don't need, or generally want to know how the program does it.

To read more complicated stuff about objects, click Objects Part B