In object-oriented programming and design, a class is a blueprint or template for creating objects. It defines a set of common attributes (properties) and methods (behaviors) that all objects of that type will share. Therefore, a class serves as the definition for a group of objects with similar properties and functionalities. Each object created from the class is an instance of that class, inheriting its structure and behavior. This concept of classification is fundamental to organizing complex software systems.

B. Objects: An object is an individual instance of a class; it is a member of the group, not the description of the group itself.

C. Links: A link represents a specific connection or relationship between individual objects, not a classification of objects based on shared properties.

D. Procedures: This term belongs to the procedural programming paradigm and refers to a sequence of computational steps, not a grouping of objects.

1. Bruegge, B., & Dutoit, A. H. (2010). Object-Oriented Software Engineering: Using UML, Patterns, and Java (3rd ed.). Prentice Hall. In Chapter 2, Section 2.2.2, "Classes and Objects," it is stated: "A class is an abstraction that describes a group of objects with the same properties (attributes), operations (methods), relationships, and semantics." (p. 32).

2. Liskov, B., & Guttag, J. (2008). Program Development in Java: Abstraction, Specification, and Object-Oriented Design. Addison-Wesley. Chapter 5, "Defining Data Abstractions," explains that a class is used to implement a data abstraction, defining a set of objects and the operations on them.

3. MIT OpenCourseWare. (2016). 6.005 Software Construction, Fall 2016. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Lecture 15, "Abstract Data Types," notes: "A class is a set of objects that share a common structure and a common behavior." Retrieved from https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/6-005-software-construction-fall-2016/resources/lecture-15-abstract-data-types/