Re: Interesting but sensitive topic to discuss (HELP: - OOP and CASE tools)

[Anthony Menio <menio@pegasus.montclair.edu>]

On 18 Nov 1996, Piercarlo Grandi wrote:

> >>> "menio" == Anthony Menio <menio@pegasus.montclair.edu> writes:
> 
> menio> On 11 Nov 1996, Piercarlo Grandi wrote:
> 
> piercarl> Do OO programs by and large describe static relationships
> piercarl> between modules (or parts thereof like interfaces)? Or do they
> piercarl> describe collections of instances/clones of those modules (or
> piercarl> their types) and how they interact?
> 
> menio> In addition to the comments made in my last post I though
> menio> following would offer a clear and correct answer. Systems with an
> menio> object oriented architecture consist of objects. Classes are
> menio> merely blue prints to create objects from. Just as a building is
> menio> made of beams, rooms,prefab components and cars of
> menio> transmissions,radiators,exhust systems system and not the
> menio> blueprints of these things so with an OO software system.
> 
> "Just as" is a bit ambitious above, isn't it? Just look at how buildings
> are built, and build OO systems accordingly. I wonder why nobody :-)
> ever realized it is so simple. It is also extremely convenient for the
> sake of terseness to make statements without any sort of supporting
> argument. It reminds me of the writing style of several OO-speak gurus.
> 
Evidence ? witness Component architectures this is a prime example of
reuse of concepts and methods of construction from the physical domain.

> menio> The essence of OO architecture is the viewing of abstract systems
> menio> in terms of the real world, ie as if the were physical systems.
> 
> Please describe how you would view an OO program that does calculations
> using matrixes of complex numbers as if it were a physical system...
> 
I think the problem here is your interpretation of of the phrase "as if
they were physical systems". The meaning I wished conveyed is in
"in terms of conceptually" not of "not in terms of literally". 
As far as your specific example wouldn't such a OOP program
still consist of instances of needed classes and
method invocations between them ?  Hence the ideas of classification,
instances, encapsulation would still be key to design and
evident in the runtime system. These concepts are paramount
to our viewing of real world systems, of physical systems,
and such systems are the source of these ideas. OO is
every where in the real world isn't the blue prints for
a new Buick LeSabre simply a class ? The interface to
an instance of this class(brakes,gas pedal,sterring) provide
an implementation independent means of communicating
with it. Thus if this is so then isn't the OO program for
matrix calculations modeled in terms of the physical world? 


> menio> Thus it a fundamental process to resolve such questions through
> menio> examining systems of the source domain of the metaphor to gain a
> menio> better understanding of conceptual issues in the target domain.
> 
> Continue writing in this style and you'll become a wealthy OO-speak guru
> like Brady Gooch or Steve Mellor. ``A sucker is born every minute.''
> 
Drwaing parallels from  my ideas and communication skills to those of
accepted OO speakers is hardly an argument against my ideas
and communication skills. In fact thanks for the complement :) 

> menio> Anthony Menio I.S. Student menio@pegasus.montclair.edu
> 
> Just as a curiosity: could you post the titles of the OO books from
> which you have gleaned the above statements? I must confess that I have
> some expectations as to what they can be...
> 
>  
If you are of the opinion that my posting are simply a
regurgitation for the exposings of the authors I have read,
rather than critical reflections upon their ideas,
than  you should take this argument up with
them. I'm not sure of Ivar Jacobson's and Grady Booch's
email addresses but I'm sure you can find them someplace.


Anthony Menio
I.S. Student
menio@pegasus.montclair.edu

	Your power is your ideas, your ideas are products of
	perception, your perception is the product of your
	architecture, architecture is everything - me