6 Courses to Learn Object-Oriented Programming in Depth

Object-oriented programming is a paradigm that allows you to write a program by modeling real-world things in terms of class and object. It not only effectively represents real-world applications but also allows you to manage the complexity of your program.

Even though there are several programming paradigms, e.g. procedural and functional, most of the code we write today is object-oriented, and some of the most of popular programming languages out there are object-oriented, e.g. Java, Python, PHP, and JavaScript.

Most of us learned object-oriented programming while learning a programming language, e.g. learning Java or Python, but that time our focus mostly remains on programming language rather than truly understanding OOP concepts.

That’s why many programmers end up knowing how to declare a class or instantiate an object rather than understanding the purpose of class and object and how to design one.

That’s where the definition: “a class is a blueprint to create objects” starts making sense.

In short, it’s important to have a good understanding of OOP basics, OOP design principles, and OOP patterns to write a robust program to solve real-world problems.

6 Courses to Learn Object-Oriented Programming

In this article, I am going to share some of the free courses you can take to learn OOP basics or improve your object-oriented programming skills.

I have chosen courses from different languages, specifically Java, Python, PHP, and JavaScript.

You can choose the course in the language you are most proficient. This will help you to focus on object-oriented programming rather than on programming language and its syntax.

1. Object-Oriented Programming in Java

This is a free course to learn object-oriented programming in Java from Udacity.

It will introduce you to some of the essential OOP concepts in Java, like class, objects, inheritance, polymorphism, abstraction, encapsulation, association, composition, and more.

You will learn how to use these object-oriented programming concepts in code examples, discover how these concepts are used in real-world applications that require user input, and understand the benefits of mastering these concepts in Java.

By the end of this course, you will create your own game (one of the best way to improve your OOP skill), understand how and when to apply foundational Java concepts, and will gain a deeper understanding of the tools and logic that professional Java developers use every day

2. The Four Pillars of OOP in Python 3 for Beginners

This is not free but a good course to learn object-oriented programming in Python from Udemy.

The course will not only teach you how to structure your code using classes and objects but also how to implement object-oriented programming by bundling attributes and methods within a class.

You also will learn the four pillars that make up object-oriented programming, which are:
1. Abstraction
2. Encapsulation
3. Polymorphism
4. Inheritance

This course covers all of them in good details with some real-world examples.

At the end of this course, you will be able to write your own object-oriented programs in Python!

3. Basics of Object-Oriented Programming with C#

This is another nice course to learn object-oriented basics from Udemy, but this time, we look at C#. If you are a C# developer, then you can use this course to learn object-oriented programming.

This course will lay the foundations of object-oriented programming (OOP) in your mind, allowing you to progress to more complex, systematic, and cleaner programming methods.

The course is aimed at students who have at least some coding experience, preferably with C# (but Java or any other similar language is also acceptable).

Finally, you will build the project “Warrior Wars!” to put your object-oriented skills to the test.

4. Learn Object-Oriented PHP by Building a Complete Website

This course teaches OOP programming using PHP on Udemy. PHP is one of the most powerful languages to develop a website, also known as a server-side scripting language.

It’s been said that almost 50 percent of websites on the Internet are developed using PHP. Therefore, it’s an important language to learn.

The course starts by covering simple OOP concepts such as classes, objects, methods, properties, MVC, MySQL, data abstraction, data binding, etc.

After that, you are introduced to advanced topics before you can use everything you’ve learned to create a functional website with OOP PHP.

In short, this is a perfect course that breaks down the basics of PHP coding, how it works with OOP, and even how to combine both to effectively create a website.

5. SOLID Principles of Object-Oriented Design

This is a great course for learning object-oriented design principles.

This course introduces foundational principles of creating well-crafted code and is appropriate for anyone hoping to improve as a developer.

The SOLID principles were coined by Uncle Bob in his classic Clean Code (a must-read book for any Java programmer. If you haven’t read it yet, then read it now) and they are fundamental to designing maintainable and robust OOP applications.

Whether you’ve only just begun writing software or have been doing so for years, these principles, when used appropriately, can improve the encapsulation and coupling of your application, making it more manageable and testable in the face of changing requirements.

6. Review of Object-Oriented Programming Using JavaScript

CodeAcademy is famous for teaching JavaScript and several other programming languages for free, including Java.

In this course, you review the basics of objects and classes covered in their previous courses.

The best part of this course is that you will learn OOP by typing and doing things. You will be given instructions like "Create a Bike Constructor" on lines 7 that has no properties, and then, you need to write code and submit it to compilation.

This learn-by-doing approach makes sure that whatever you are learning is actually going into your head.

The course uses JavaScript-like language. So if you want to learn object-oriented programming using JavaScript, this is the best course for you.

That’s all for now on some of the free courses to learn object-oriented programming online. A good understanding of object-oriented programming basics, design principles, and design patterns are mandatory for programmers, and every beginner programmer should spend some time learning these concepts.

Thanks for reading this article so far. If you like these courses, then please share with your friends and colleagues. If you have any questions or feedback, then please leave a comment below.