An Examination of the Theoretical Foundations of the Object-Oriented Paradigm.
Abstract
The object-oriented paradigm provides a natural structure for describing and decomposing systems. The objectives of this research were to: provide a definition of an object model and consider its theoretical foundations; implement the defined object model to empirically investigate the concept; and implement a prototype environment to directly, interactively manipulate the object model. We define an object to have a unique identity and be composed of a set of attributes, a set of behaviors, and a set of (sub)objects. We define an attribute to be composed of an identifier, a value, and a set of attributes; and we define a behavior to be an identifier, a set of attributes, and a set of behaviors. We propose and prove the theorem that the defined object model can simulate a Turing machine. We then use the object-oriented design process to implement the defined object model under a prototype intractive environment called the HOOKE. We use the HOOKE to help build a simulation of a Turing machine under the defined object model, including several delta functions and input tapes. Thus we validate both the defined object model and the HOOKE. We conclude that the object-oriented paradigm rests on sound theoretical ground.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA194879
Entities
People
- William A. Bralick Jr
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology