Introduction to Packages for the TSMODEL Procedure

A class is a programming recipe for creating objects. Whereas real objects can be described by an unlimited number of features, a class uses a limited number of features to describe as faithfully as possible both the state and behavior of an object inside a computer program. The size and complexity of the feature set that a class uses (that is, how complex the recipe for the object is) depends on the requirements of each application. A class uses fields of varying data types to represent the features that describe the state of an object. Similarly, a class provides a set of methods that enables external objects to query and even modify the object’s behavior. Furthermore, a class also generally provides the recipe for a constructor, which is a special method that assigns an initial state to the class fields.

The words "class" and "object" are sometimes used interchangeably because a class is the representation of an object within the constraints of a programming language.