Java Glossary : Object-Oriented

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Object-Oriented

Nerdy term for "good". Object-oriented to Java programmers refers to the way you organise methods in classes that work on the current object. Java supports inheritance and polymorphism via shadowing, overriding and overloading. The big advantage of object-oriented programming is the way you can easily create variants of the usual behaviours without cloning code. This makes maintaining the code much easier since when you later want to change something, you need to change it in only one place, not in all the myriad clones.

Here is a an analogy you might use for non-programmers: Computer programs are like instruction manuals to tell the computer what to do. In traditional programs, there is one great book containing all the instructions. In OO programming, in the computer's virtual universe, there is an instruction book attached to every object that tells the computer what it can do with each object and how. All Dalmatians come with two instruction books, a care and feeding of Dalmatatians, and a generic care and feeding of Dogs. The Cocker Spaniels come with a specialised care and feeding of Cocker Spaniels book, and the exact same book on care and feeding of Dogs. The instructions in the specific books can override the general instructions or add to the general instructions in the Dog book.

For a language to be considered officially object-oriented it needs three features:

Abstraction -- providing some form of classes and objects.
Inheritance -- providing the ability to build new abstractions out of existing ones.
Run-time polymorphism -- providing some form of run-time binding where a different version of the method is used with the decision made which one to use postponed until execution time.

Learning More

Object-Oriented Methods: Principles and Practice

0-201-61913-X

Ian Graham

A heavyweight book with lots of math. Something you can keep coming back to as you hone your skill.

design patterns ¤ refactoring

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