Classes and OOP

My curiousity has got the best of me on this topic. I have toiled and simply beat my head against a wall learning OPP, and to tell you the truth, is it really worth the trouble and headaches when all is said and done, or is the old method simply the better route?

I realize that the ego side of me likes the OOP programming end of PHP5, however I do find myself going over code more often than I ever did before using simple functions and CASE scenarios, and find that I am taking actually longer to get scripts in line and finished.

Any opinions on the matter would be greatly appreciated.

OOP makes things more readable, and easier to follow usually. There is such a thing as too much OOP I believe (Java for instance may have crossed that line), but overall, I think its a very valuable and useful thing to learn

I look at it this way. Knowledge gained hurts nothing and provides you with more "tools" in your "tool box". And just as with anything else - the more you do it the easier it becomes.

I too tend to also have a hard time wrapping my brain around OOP but I can do it. And in the occasions where it is the better way to go, I use it. I personally feel it is something that all programmers should know - even if we choose to do things procedurally.

(what a round about way to say - stick to it )

Many thanks for the opinions thus far.

I am sticking with it and trying to get back to the proper methods of forming a fulfilling class library, but there are just some classes and functions that I seriously scratch my head and say "Oh now..come on..this is getting ridiculous" lol..

I tend to go overboard with some of it, and just a few hours ago, put myself in a error educed hell that I spent probably over a hour trying to figure out. I wound up rewriting the class to a much shorter function, which when I was finished thought "Well, why not just make it a function with a variable switch instead of using the new class method" and that did the trick.

Its a learning process, and one that is going to take some more time to master. I would admit at being at the "average" level at this point with classes, but no where near being proficient as many of you guys.

More practice is needed by far, but I think it will come around eventually to hopefully mirror some of the scripts I have seen here in the new OOP form.
(which..I have to say, looks quite a bit more impressive than simple dollar signs all over the script)