Hello there! In today's lesson, we're delving deeper into Dart classes, concentrating on attributes and methods. Attributes define properties, while methods define actions. We'll be exploring these concepts using a Dog class as an example. Upon completing this lesson, you will have attained proficiency in the use of attributes and methods within Dart classes.

From an object-oriented perspective, attributes can be considered as properties. For instance, in a Dog class, the attributes might include name: "Fido", breed: "Poodle", color: "White". These attributes provide a detailed characterization of a dog's attributes.

Attributes can be introduced to a class in Dart as follows. In this case, we're setting the name, breed, and color for the Dog class:

Dart
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1class Dog {
2   var name = 'Fido';
3   var breed = 'Poodle';
4   var color = 'White';
5}

To create an instance, the following pattern is used:

Dart
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1var fido = Dog();
2
3print(fido.name); // Prints: Fido
4print(fido.breed); // Prints: Poodle
5print(fido.color); // Prints: White

In this instance, Fido is an object of the Dog class.

Simplified, methods can be defined as actions that instances of a class can undertake. For the Dog class, behaviors might include bark(), eat(), and sleep(). Such methods are defined as functions within the class itself.

When we introduce methods to the Dog class, we enable it to perform actions like barking, eating, and sleeping:

Dart
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1class Dog {
2    var name = 'Fido';
3    var breed = 'Poodle';
4    var color = 'White';
5
6    void bark() {
7        print('Woof Woof!');
8    }
9
10    void eat(String food) {
11        print('$name is eating $food.');
12    }
13
14    void sleep() {
15        print('Zzz...');
16    }
17}

In this manner, the bark, eat, and sleep methods define the behavior of a Dog object. Now, an instance of Dog can bark, eat, and even sleep.

Let's create an object from the Dog class and call its methods:

Dart
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1var fido = Dog();
2
3print(fido.name); // Prints: Fido
4print(fido.breed); // Prints: Poodle
5print(fido.color); // Prints: White
6
7fido.bark(); // Prints: Woof Woof!
8fido.eat("bone"); // Prints: Fido is eating bone.
9fido.sleep(); // Prints: Zzz...

With attributes and methods, our Dog class truly comes to life!

That's it for this lesson! With attributes and methods, you can render Dart classes more interactive. We demonstrated the application of attributes and methods using the Dog class. Your next step is to tackle exercises designed for you to practice and reinforce these concepts. Happy Dart coding!