Question

You hear someone make the following comment: "A blueprint is a design for a house. A carpenter can use the blueprint to build the house. If the carpenter wishes, he or she can build several identical houses from the same blueprint." Think of this as a metaphor for classes and objects. Does the blueprint represent a class, or does it represent an object?

Short answer

Answer: In the given metaphor, blueprints represent classes, as they define the structure and properties of the house (like a class). Houses built based on the blueprints represent objects, as they are specific instances that follow the structure and properties defined by the blueprint (like objects).

Step-by-step solution

Classes are like blueprints for creating objects in programming. They define the structure and behavior of objects, which can be thought of as instances of the class. Objects, on the other hand, are specific instances of classes, with their own set of data and attributes. #Step 2: Analyze the blueprint metaphor#

In the metaphor, the blueprint represents a design for a house - it defines the structure, layout, and other properties of the house. A carpenter uses the blueprint as a guide to build the house. If the carpenter wants to, they can build multiple identical houses from the same blueprint. #Step 3: Relate the metaphor to classes and objects#

In this metaphor, the blueprint corresponds to a class because it defines the structure and attributes of the house. The house itself (or each identical house built by the carpenter) represents an object, which is an instance of the blueprint (class). #Conclusion#

In the given metaphor, the blueprint represents a class, while the houses built based on the blueprint represent objects. This is because the blueprint defines the structure and properties of the house (like a class), while the houses themselves are specific instances of that blueprint (like objects).