December 21, 2024

What is an Object?

 

It must be emphasised that M206 was not a programming course, although it employed a considerable amount of programming using the Smalltalk language. M206 taught a range of concepts which underpin Object-oriented computing, also referred to as either Object technology, the Object paradigm, or OOP. I think it is important to concentrate on these key concepts, since initially they are sometimes difficult to understand.

Adopting this paradigm, we can view a computer system as comprising of software components called objects.
An object is a piece of software that has a unique identity, possesses memory and has a capacity to carry out some particular task in response to receiving a specified message.

A "rountangle" is used to schematically represent an object. You will be asked to produce diagrams for your TMAs, using Word. You can download instructions for using Word's Drawing tools here.

three layered rountangle divided horizontally into Class, Memory and Protocol

 

Next page » Object protocol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Up to top of page