capypad
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cpp / beginner
Snippet

Introduction to Classes and Objects

Classes are blueprints for creating objects. They bundle data (attributes) and functions (methods) together. An object is a specific instance of a class. The class defines what every Dog will have, while each Dog object has its own specific values.

snippet.cpp
cpp
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#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
 
class Dog {
public:
string name;
int age;
void bark() {
cout << name << " says: Woof!" << endl;
}
void birthday() {
age = age + 1;
}
};
 
int main() {
Dog myDog;
myDog.name = "Buddy";
myDog.age = 3;
myDog.bark();
cout << "Age: " << myDog.age << endl;
myDog.birthday();
cout << "New Age: " << myDog.age << endl;
return 0;
}
Breakdown
1
class Dog {
Begins the class definition named Dog
2
public:
Members after this are accessible from outside the class
3
string name; int age;
Data members (attributes) that every Dog object will have
4
void bark()
A method that prints a barking message using the object's name
5
Dog myDog;
Creates an actual Dog object (instantiation)
6
myDog.name = "Buddy";
Accesses the name attribute using the dot operator