Date of Award

5-1993

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Departmental Honors

Department

Management Information Systems

Abstract

Object-oriented design methodologies, along with object-oriented programming techniques, have recently gained significant popularity as their advantages have become evident. Traditional methodologies following the structured approach have not been successful in providing an accurate model of the business system.Object-oriented techniques, where an object in the computer system corresponds to a real-world object, have been much more successful in accurately modeling the business system and its environment.

Object-oriented methodologies provide many advantages over structured approaches to systems design. Concepts such as data hiding, encapsulation, inheritance, dynamic binding, and polymorphism help to achieve an accurate and flexible system that is resistant to corruption and is easy to maintain. Objects, which are entities with a private memory and a public interface, are at the core of object-oriented methodologies. They represent the systems that are found in the real-world, and can be used, if they have been properly designed, as building blocks in various computer systems. The ability to re-use objects greatly reduces the cost of developing new systems. Not only do objects allow the reuse of program modules, but the reuse of entire system designs as well. In addition to reuse, they promote system extensibility and flexibility.

Some drawbacks to the use of object-orientation exist, but can and should be overcome in order to obtain the advantages provided by the methodology. Students should familiarize themselves with object-oriented methodologies in order to place themselves in a better position in the job market upon graduation.

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Faculty Mentor

Charles M. Lutz