Python OOP – Classes, Objects, Inheritance and Encapsulation
Author : aiinfox tech | Published On : 21 Sep 2026
Python OOP, or object-oriented programming, is a core concept to learn in Python as it helps in structuring your code into manageable and reusable sections, something that is increasingly useful in larger applications. OOP allows you to imagine real-world objects as a set of classes or objects instead of simply a bunch of functions and variables. It is especially crucial to first learn about classes, objects, inheritance and encapsulation as a beginner.
What Is a Class in Python?
Think of it as a template or a design you can use to create objects or instances.
For example, you might create a class called Student to manage student records with name, age and course. Class Student:
def_init_(self, name, age, course):
self.name = name
self.age = age
self.course = course
In the example above, _init_() is a special function that is automatically called when an object is created. It is commonly used to assign initial values to the properties of the object being created. In the above example, name, age and course are properties of each student object, with self referring to the current object.
What Is an Object?
An object is a real-world instance created from a class.
To continue the previous example, you could create objects or instances of the student class like this:
student1 = Student("Aman", 21, "Python")
student2 = Student("Neha", 22, "Data Science")
The two objects are created from the same class but have different values, and their values can be used and accessed as such:
print(student1.name)
print(student2.course)
This keeps related information connected.
Adding Methods to a Class
Classes also contain functions (called methods in this case). For example:
class Student:
def_init_(self, name, course):
self.name = name
self. course = course
def introduce(self):
print("My name is", self.name)
Now you can call:
student1 = Student("Aman", "Python")
student1.introduce()
Methods are functions that define what an object can do, while properties define what it contains.
Understanding Inheritance
Inheritance in programming is when a class can reuse all its properties and methods from another class. For example, you might already have a general Employee class:
class Employee:
def work(self):
print("Employee is working")
You could then create a new class that inherits from the class above:
class Developer(Employee):
def code(self):
print("Developer is writing code")
The class Developer would then be able to access both the work() and code() functions. An example of this in action:
developer = Developer()
developer.work()
developer.code()
Inheritance helps in avoiding duplicate code in larger projects and makes programs more manageable. It is also useful when many classes have similar behaviour but require unique properties.
What Is Encapsulation?
Encapsulation in programming simply means putting properties and methods that operate on them together inside a class, and being able to hide information if necessary. For example,
class BankAccount:
def_init_(self, balance):
self._balance = balance
In the code above, the double underscore before balance is to prevent the attribute from being accessed directly from outside of the class. You could then write:
class BankAccount:
def_init_(self, balance):
self.balance = balance
def get_balance(self):
return self._balance
In this way, you have control over how information is accessed and manipulated, and it can be considered an essential feature of many applications that contain sensitive information.
Why Does OOP Matter for Real Projects?
Object-oriented programming is preferred because of the way it enables large applications to be structured.
For example, a shopping platform may have classes for Customer, Product, Order and Payment.
Each class manages its own data and actions, rather than having one long application that you need to modify. This way, you can maintain different parts of the program individually.
How Beginners Can Practice OOP: The best approach to learn object-oriented programming is to use it to create small projects. You could build simple learning systems like a library management system, bank account program, student management system or shopping cart.
Focus on learning about classes and objects first before diving into inheritance and encapsulation.
Once you are comfortable with those ideas, you can get started with the last concepts of polymorphism, abstraction and composition. Aiinfox Tech students developing their Python skills can learn OOP well because of Python's straightforward syntax. When you regularly practice these concepts, classes, objects, inheritance and encapsulation quickly become powerful and practical concepts you can use to write efficient and scalable programs.
