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From: dmg@ssc-vax (David M Geary)
Newsgroups: comp.object
Subject: Re: Definition of 'reuse' (was Re: a real long title)
Keywords: reuse
Message-ID: <4192@ssc-bee.ssc-vax.UUCP>
Date: 25 Jun 91 14:05:33 GMT
References: <1991Jun11.062703.15671@netcom.COM> <1991Jun14.103725.2765@dit.upm.es> <1194@tetrauk.UUCP>
Sender: news@ssc-vax.UUCP
Reply-To: dmg@ssc-vax.UUCP (David M Geary)
Organization: Boeing Aerospace & Electronics
Lines: 33

In article <1194@tetrauk.UUCP> rick@tetrauk.UUCP (Rick Jones) writes:
]
]I get the impression that a lot of people are trying OO methods and languages
]because they believe that reuse is the prime benefit - I think they are going
]to be disappointed.  For me, the benfits are increased modularity,
]encapsulation, and a more resilient structure.  If you manage those properly,
]then you will be able to move on to effective reuse with the aid of experience,
]but it doesn't come for free.
]
]As a matter of interest, the most effective aspect of reuse for me in working
]with Eiffel has been the existence of libraries of generic classes for data
]structures.  This has been far more significant than inheritance as an aid to
]productivity.
]-- 

  Although OOP concepts have been around for a long time, it really
  is a "new technology" for most of the programming world.  Any new
  technology (practically) will typically dissapoint the first wave
  of newcomers to use it.

  On the flip side, I think that it's relatively easy for a decent
  programmer, recently schooled in the OOP methodology to write
  reusable code.  Many issues such as when to use inheritance, what
  data to make visible to subclasses, etc. will take some experience
  to iron out, but I still maintain that a good degree of reuse is
  possible right off the bat.

  
-- 
|~~~~~~~~~~       David Geary, Boeing Aerospace, Seattle, WA.       ~~~~~~~~~~|
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