What does the object model mean?

Mariusz Postol

The term is closely coupled with object-oriented programming. Programming means that we are talking about the compile-time or design-time stage of the program. Objects are instantiated at run-time using reference types. The term model refers rather to the design time. Finally, I am not sure if it is design time or run-time term. I would appreciate any help.

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Rasul Huseynov2y ago
Accepted answer
Hi Mr.MARIUSZ,

The object model in programming is like a blueprint for building software using objects. Think of it as a plan that tells us what kinds of "things" (objects) we need, what each thing can do (methods), and what information each thing holds (attributes).

At the design stage, we define classes, which are templates for creating objects. For example, a class called "Car" might have attributes like color and speed, and methods like drive() and stop().

When the program runs, we create actual cars (objects) based on this template. Each car object has its own color and speed but can use the same methods defined in the class.

So, object model is primarily a design-time concept. This means it is used to plan and define the structure and behavior of objects before the program is run.
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Mariusz Postol2y ago
@ Rasul Huseynov your answer looks good. Only replace the class by type (the interface is not a class but can contribute to the object model). My understanding is that because the objects will be created at run-time the object model should contain reference types at design time. More about using references to establish a relationship of types you can find in my new article waiting for approval.
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