Object-Oriented Programming

Utilizing Object-Oriented OOP is one way to develop solid, workable applications.

Broadly speaking, OOP is the development of re-usable programs (the objects ) that are designed, written and tested in one environment, then with additional work, expanded to for use elsewhere.

Any program could be considered an object if it has two aspects:

1. Properties or data of some kind
2. Behaviors, also known as methods or procedures.

The tools and the surrounding system(s) define the objects and how they are used.

Since most subroutines (or procedures or functions) contain both instructions and data not visible to the outside, they could be considered objects and their use OOP.

But most of us would ask for a better controlled environment before we would claim we are working in OOP.

The Swedish designed Simula language, Alan Kay's work at Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), and SmallTalk are all part of the early history of OOP.

Here's a couple of links about these items.

http://java.sun.com/people/jag/SimulaHistory.html
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,32905,00.asp
http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/java/concepts/

(The links may be gone by the time you read this..)

Craig Roberts

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