Final answer:
In object-oriented programming, you often create classes from which objects are instantiated. Classes act as blueprints for objects, defining their properties and behaviors. Instantiated objects then have unique properties but shared behaviors from their respective classes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Object-oriented programming (OOP) is defined as a programming paradigm (and not a specific language) built on the concept of objects, i.e., a set of data contained in fields, and code, indicating procedures – instead of the usual logic-based system. When you program in object-oriented languages, you frequently create classes from which objects will be instantiated.
A class is essentially a blueprint that defines the characteristics and behaviors (in the form of variables and functions, respectively) of an object. For instance, if you're creating a program that simulates a school, you might have a class named Student that has properties like name, age, and grade, and behaviors such as study and attendClass.
When an object is instantiated from a class, it inherits all of the properties and behaviors defined in the class. This way, each object can have its own unique values for its properties, but it will share the behaviors set forth by the class. This concept is fundamental to object-oriented programming and is crucial for creating organized and reusable code.