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Object Oriented Programming

This document discusses the confusion around defining object-oriented programming (OOP) and some key aspects of the OOP approach. It notes that while OOP is often discussed in the context of specific programming languages, it is first and foremost a modeling approach based on representing real-world entities as objects that interact. The document contrasts the procedural approach of controlling program flow with the OOP approach of dividing a problem domain into subclasses and using inheritance. It also addresses debates around language features and definitions of OOP.

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Andrew
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57 views

Object Oriented Programming

This document discusses the confusion around defining object-oriented programming (OOP) and some key aspects of the OOP approach. It notes that while OOP is often discussed in the context of specific programming languages, it is first and foremost a modeling approach based on representing real-world entities as objects that interact. The document contrasts the procedural approach of controlling program flow with the OOP approach of dividing a problem domain into subclasses and using inheritance. It also addresses debates around language features and definitions of OOP.

Uploaded by

Andrew
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Object

 Oriented  Programming      
 
Definitions,  Or  What  Is  In  A  Name?      
 
There  is  confusion  over  the  definition  of  OOP,  and  not  just  in  this  class.    I  have  seen  
people  use  one  class  in  a  program  and  claim  it  is  object  oriented.    I  saw  an  entire,  
large,  project  that  converted  to  OOP.    In  their  requirements  and  design  
documentation  they  did  a  text  substation  (find  and  replace).    Where  they  had  
"module"  they  put  "class".    Where  they  had  "function"  they  put  "method".    And  
overnight  (really  a  couple  of  weeks)  they  were  object-­‐oriented.  :-­‐)  (  
 
Wikipedia  has  a  good  overview  of  the  definition  and  discussion  of  some  of  the  
issues.    But  the  most  pertinent  point  is  probably  these  two  sentences:      
 
"Although  discussions  of  object-­‐oriented  technology  can  get  trapped  in  the  details  
of  one  language  vs.  the  other,  the  real  key  to  the  object-­‐oriented  approach  is  that  
it  is  a  modelling  approach  first.    The  object-­‐oriented  approach  is  considered  a  
logical  extension  of  good  design  practices  that  go  back  to  the  very  beginning  of  
computer  programming  rather  than  being  revolutionary  as  claimed  by  some  
proponents."  
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object-­‐oriented_programming,  24  Jul  14)      
 
A  procedural  approach  involves  mastering  and  controlling  the  flow  of  execution  
through  the  program.    This  is  mostly  what  we  cover  in  161.    You  can  execute  
statements  sequentially,  or  repeat  blocks  of  code,  or  you  can  skip  or  select  blocks  of  
code.    You  think  in  terms  of  where  do  I  put  the  data  (variables).    How  do  I  process,  
convert,  or  change  the  data.    Where  do  I  put  the  results?    And  of  course,  which  part  
of  the  flow  am  I  in?        
 
An  object  oriented  approach  involves  thinking  about  the  problem  domain  and  how  
it  can  be  divided.    You  divide  the  domain  into  sub  domains,  mapping  them  to  classes.    
Due  to  common  elements  you  will  find  inheritance  useful.    As  I  explain  in  the  
lectures  the  domain  can  be  physical,  such  as  planes,  and  gates,  or  it  can  be  abstract,  
such  as  a  flight,  and  take  off  position.      
 
Notice  "good  design  practices"!    It  is  as  much  a  way  of  thinking  as  anything  else.    
That  takes  time,  which  increases  the  effort  required  to  write  code,  which  increases  
the  cost.    And  delays  delivery.    So  many  organizations  do  not  want  to  deal  with  it.    
This  can  also  muddy  the  waters  when  talking  about  OOP.      
 
Yes  you  use  procedural  features  inside  the  class  but  the  interaction  of  the  parts  
(classes)  is  through  a  well-­‐defined  interface.      
 
As  the  article  points  out,  too  often  the  discussion  gets  hung  up  in  the  programming  
language.    But  to  a  first  approximation,  yes,  if  you're  doing  OOP  then  you  will  have  a  
class  hierarchy  and  all  parts  of  your  program  will  be  in  a  class  in  that  hierarchy.      
 
Programming  languages  now  enter  the  "dispute".    True  object  oriented  languages;  
such  as  Smalltalk,  and  Objective-­‐C,  require  all  classes  to  be  derived  from  a  single  
parent  (or  true  superclass).    Other  languages,  such  as  C++,  allow  you  to  have  
multiple  trees  with  separate  roots.    I  would  argue  they  are  still  object  oriented.    All  
of  these  will  have  one  'function',  such  as  main(),  that  calls  the  other  piece  and  gets  
the  show  started.    If  you  have  any  other  pieces  that  are  not  in  the  class  hierarchy  I  
would  consider  the  program  to  be  a  hybrid.      
 
I  hope  this  helps.    As  I  said  at  the  beginning  there  is  much  dispute  about  this  
definition.      
 
 
 
 
 
 

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