Features of Object-Oriented Programming:

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) is a programming paradigm that uses "objects" to design applications and software. Here are the main features of OOP:

1. Encapsulation: This is the practice of keeping fields within a class private, then providing access to them via public methods. It’s a protective barrier that keeps the data and code safe within the class itself. This way, we are hiding the actual implementation of an object from the outside world.

2. Inheritance: This is a process of object reusability. It is an important pillar of OOP. A new class is formed by using properties of an existing class. The new class, known as derived class, inherits features from the base class, also known as superclass.

3. Polymorphism: This allows methods to be used in the same way even if they belong to different classes. It is the ability of an object to take on many forms. The most common use of polymorphism in OOP occurs when a parent class reference is used to refer to a child class object.

4. Abstraction: It is a process of hiding the implementation details and showing only the functionality to the users. Abstraction lets you focus on what the object does instead of how it does it.

5. Class: A class is a blueprint for creating objects (a particular data structure), providing initial values for state (member variables or attributes), and implementations of behavior (member functions or methods).

6. Object: An object is an instance of a class. When a class is defined, no memory is allocated but when it is instantiated (i.e., an object is created) memory is allocated.

7. Method: A method is a function defined in a class.

8. Message Passing: Message passing is a method by which an object sends data to another object or calls methods in another object. It is a key component in the methodology dictated by the process of encapsulation.

These features make the software development and maintenance easier.