Object Oriented Design (OOD)
Object–oriented design is a process of designing a system or component using objects and their interactions. It is used to create software that is maintainable, extensible, and reusable. The object–oriented approach to design is based on the concept of objects, which are data structures that contain both data and procedures. Objects are created from classes, which are templates that define the data and procedures that make up the object. The relationships between objects are defined by the interactions between the objects. These relationships can be represented using inheritance, composition, and association.
Key Design Concepts
There are several key concepts in object–oriented design, including encapsulation, modularity, hierarchy, and polymorphism. One of the most important concepts in object–oriented design is encapsulation.
Encapsulation is the concept of hiding the details of an object’s implementation from other objects. This allows objects to be used without knowledge of their internals, and also allows for the implementation of an object to be changed without affecting other objects that use it.
Modularity is the concept of grouping related functionality into separate, self-contained objects. This allows for easier development and maintenance of a system, as well as more flexibility in how the system can be used.
Hierarchy is the concept of arranging objects in a tree-like structure, with each object having a unique place in the hierarchy. This allows for a more efficient use of resources, as well as a more consistent interface for users of the system.
Polymorphism is the concept of allowing objects to be treated in a uniform manner, even if they are of different types. This allows for code to be written once and used with multiple different objects, without the need to write different code for each object type.
Another important concept is inheritance. Inheritance allows objects to be created that are derived from other objects. This allows the new object to inherit the properties and behavior of the existing object. Object–oriented design is a powerful tool for creating software systems. It allows the system to be more modular and easier to maintain. It also makes the system more flexible and extensible.
The Good and the Bad of OOD
Advantages
There are several advantages to using object–oriented design concepts, including:
1. Object–oriented design concepts can help to create more modular and reusable code.
2. Object–oriented design concepts can make it easier to maintain and update code, as well as to add new features.
3. Object–oriented design concepts can help to make code more understandable and easier to debug.
4. Objects can be tested independently, which helps to ensure that the system as a whole is robust and error-free.
Disadvantages
There are a few potential disadvantages to object–oriented design concepts:
1. Object–oriented design concepts can make code more complex and difficult to understand.
2. Object–oriented design concepts can make code more difficult to maintain.
3. Object–oriented design concepts can make code more difficult to port to other platforms.
The Takeaway on Object Oriented Design (OOD)
There are several key benefits to using object–oriented design principles in software development. Perhaps the most important benefit is that it helps to create more maintainable and reusable code. This means that once a programmer has created a code library, other programmers can easily use that library to create new programs. By modularizing the code into smaller objects with well–defined interfaces, it becomes much easier to make changes to the code without unintentionally breaking other parts of the system. Additionally, object–oriented design can help to make code more understandable and easier to work with for new developers.
For the Non-Programmer
There are many reasons why it is important for non-programmers to understand object-oriented design. One reason is that it can help them better understand the programs that they use. Additionally, understanding object-oriented design can help non-programmers design their own programs or systems. Additionally, object-oriented design can help people understand how to better work with programmers to create programs that meet their needs.