.NET classes are a powerful way to define blueprints for creating objects in languages like C# and VB.NET—essential for object-oriented programming (OOP).

🏗️ Defining a Class in .NET (C# Example)

public class Dog
{
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public string Breed { get; set; }

    public Dog(string name, string breed)
    {
        Name = name;
        Breed = breed;
    }

    public void Speak()
    {
        Console.WriteLine($"{Name} says woof!");
    }
}

• class defines the class
• public makes it accessible from other parts of the program
• Properties (Name, Breed) encapsulate data
• Methods (Speak) define behavior

🐾 Creating an Object

Dog myDog = new Dog("Fido", "Labrador");
myDog.Speak();  // Outputs: Fido says woof!

🔧 Constructors

Used to initialize objects with specific values:

public Dog(string name, string breed)
{
    Name = name;
    Breed = breed;
}

🧬 Inheritance

Create a class based on another:

public class Puppy : Dog
{
    public Puppy(string name, string breed) : base(name, breed) {}

    public void Play()
    {
        Console.WriteLine($"{Name} is playing!");
    }
}

💡 Other Key Features

• Access Modifiers: public, private, protected, internal control visibility
• Static members: belong to the class rather than an instance
• Interfaces: define contracts for what methods a class must implement
• Abstract classes: define partial implementations and must be inherited
• Encapsulation: use properties and access modifiers to manage internal state

.NET makes it super intuitive to build clean, scalable, and maintainable software.