A class is a template that defines how an object will look and behave once instantiated
Sample Java Code
public class Point {
private float x_;
private float y_;
public Point (float xval,
float yval)
{ x_=xval; y_=yval; }
public float distanceFrom
(Point refpt)
{
...
}
}
Detailed Description:
"Let's look at a little more detail. This is our
first example of Java programming. Recall that
Java is an object-oriented programming
language, which means it has objects,
classes, and inheritance. Think of a class as a
template, or pattern, that defines an object. A
class is like a cookie cutter, and the cookie is
the object. Given a single cookie cutter
(class), you can stamp out as many cookies
(objects) as you want. This stamping-out
operation is called instantiation."
"Let's look at a little more detail. This is our
first example of Java programming. Recall that
Java is an object-oriented programming
language, which means it has objects,
classes, and inheritance. Think of a class as a
template, or pattern, that defines an object. A
class is like a cookie cutter, and the cookie is
the object. Given a single cookie cutter
(class), you can stamp out as many cookies
(objects) as you want. This stamping-out
operation is called instantiation."