"Object" definitions
Here are some definitions of "object" from other sources:
"An object is a self-contained entity that consists of both data and procedures to manipulate the data."
(www.webopedia.com)
"A data structure (abstract data type) encapsulated with a set of routines, called methods, which operate on the data. Operations on the data can only be performed via these methods, which are common to all objects that are instances of a particular class."
(www.hyperdictionary.com)
"An object is something that has an identity, a state, and a behaviour. The state is encoded in instance variables (data members), the behaviour is encoded in methods (member functions)."
(www.wikipedia.org)
Definitions like these are what give OOP the reputation of being really difficult! Here's my definition. It's a lot less precise, but maybe it's easier to wrap your mind around:
An object is a program that is written using object oriented rules that you can use as part of your program.
Usually, this program was written by somebody else, such as a programmer at Microsoft, but when you learn more about programming, you can write your own objects.
Examples of objects
Here are two examples of objects used in Word VBA:
Selection . . (used in the Word VBA Macro recorded earlier)
Range . . (also often used in Word VBA Macros)
Objects are usually found inside other objects
One key thing about objects is that objects are usually found inside other objects. For example, both Selection and Range are found inside the Word object.
You might be asking, "Why don't we just call these things 'programs'? Why do we have to use a confusing word like 'objects'?" The answer is that most programs are not objects. Objects are programs that are written so they have an interface (there's another software term!) that lets other programs use their methods and properties. Using a correct interface is one of those object oriented rules.
Microsoft Word maintains information about the part of the current Word document that has been 'selected'. If you are looking at a Word document, the Text property of the Selection object will be highlighted. But even if no text is selected in a Word document, the code for the Selection object still exists in the Word object and we can still use the methods and properties in our VBA program.
Notice that we use the words method and property a lot. Let's take a closer look at what they are now.
