Introduction to Object-Oriented Design

Instance Variables

Each instance of a class, or object, is characterized by the values of instance variables (also called attributes), that can change over time.

Instance variables give objects their state.

Instance variables for Oxford shirts could store:

color
price
neck size
sleeve length

Instance variables can be inherited from ancestor classes.

Example: Oxford shirts have a price, but so do Chinos, so the instance variable price is attached to the Item class.

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