Summary
I recorded this session to announce the final‑project cancellation, outline the remaining class schedule, and teach the foundational concepts of object‑oriented programming (OOP) in Python. I explain that the last two meetings will be dedicated to exam review, while the next four classes will focus on hands‑on OOP exercises.
I start by contrasting procedural code—where data lives in global structures like dictionaries and functions manipulate that shared state—with OOP, which packages related data and behavior inside classes. I define a class as a template and an instance (object) as a concrete realization of that template. In Python, the init method (a dunder) initializes instance attributes, and the mandatory self parameter refers to the current object. I stress naming conventions: class names in CamelCase, methods and attributes in snake_case, per PEP 8.
Using a Student class, I demonstrate how to create objects, access and modify attributes, and observe that each instance maintains independent state (changing one object does not affect another). I also cover object identity (id) and how equality can be customized.
Next, I show best practices for keyword arguments, which allow arguments to be supplied out of order and make calls self‑documenting. I add a new attribute, creditsEarned, with a default value, and write docstrings that begin with a verb; the built‑in help() function displays these descriptions. I implement two instance methods: is_upperclassman (returns True when creditsEarned ≥ 60) and addCredits (increments creditsEarned). I note that Python does not require explicit getters/setters—attributes can be accessed directly.
To reinforce the concepts, I assign an exercise: instantiate a Student object for "Jordan," call addCredits(25), then query creditsEarned and is_upperclassman(). The expected outcome is that Jordan has 25 credits and is not yet an upper‑classman.
Action items: review the lecture notes, complete the Jordan exercise before the next class, and prepare any questions about class design or method implementation for the upcoming exam‑review sessions.