OOP: When is it an object?

Question

I\'m trying to understand object orientation. I understand it a little bit of course, but sometimes I\'m not 100% clear. How do you decide what should be turned into an object (

Answer 1

I answered this already in another question

Code objects are not related to tangible real-life objects; they are just constructs that hold related information together.

Don't believe what the Java books/schools teach about objects; they're lying.

Just write something that gets the job done, even if it's ugly, then refactor continuously:

• eliminate duplicate code (don't repeat yourself)
• increase cohesion
• reduce coupling

But:

• don't over-engineer; keep it simple
• don't write stuff you ain't gonna need

If you don't end up with massive (and useless) class hierarchy, then you have done a good job, producing elegant and clean code.

Remember: OOP is a means, not an end.