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From: robert@cheviot.UUCP (Robert Stroud)
Newsgroups: net.lang,net.lang.st80
Subject: Re: Definition of Buzzwords: "Object-Oriented"
Message-ID: <243@cheviot.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 25-Jan-85 08:26:47 EST
Article-I.D.: cheviot.243
Posted: Fri Jan 25 08:26:47 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 28-Jan-85 06:38:19 EST
References: <4288@ucbvax.ARPA> <321@harvard.ARPA> <1488@ritcv.UUCP>
Reply-To: robert@cheviot.UUCP (Robert Stroud)
Distribution: net
Organization: U. of Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K.
Lines: 34
Xref: watmath net.lang:1313 net.lang.st80:166
Summary: 

Bill Laubenheimer (wildbill@ucbvax.arpa) asks for a definition of 
object-oriented programming.

I have always been fond of the following quotation...

    "Object-oriented programming will be in the 1980's
     what structured programming was in the 1970's.
     Everyone will be in favour of it...
     Every programmer will practice it (differently).
     And no one will know just what it is!"

It comes from an article entitled "Object-Oriented Programming" by
Tim Rentsch which can be found in ACM SIGPLAN Notices, September 1982
on pages 51 to 57. The article goes on to try and characterise just
what object-oriented programming is all about, and I recommend you
look it up if you're interested.

Personally, I remain to be convinced that there is any fundamental
difference between objects/messages and abstract data types/operations,
but I guess that is just swapping one bit of jargon for another!

However, I do agree with previous correspondents that it is a matter
of degree rather than an absolute measure, although I would put more
weight on the importance of the class hierarchy, inheritance and
polymorphic aspects of an object-oriented programming language.

Robert Stroud,
Computing Laboratory,
University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

ARPA robert%cheviot%newcastle.mailnet@mit-multics.arpa
UUCP ...!ukc!cheviot!robert

"It ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it"