OBJECTS
INTRODUCTION
What is an Object?
How to Describe an Object
The components of an object
Finding Objects - Scenario’s
Object classification
WHAT IS AN OBJECT?
An object represents either a real world or abstract entity
Physical:
Software:
“Something you can do things to. An object has state,
behaviour, and identity” (Booch, 1994)
“A Software package that contains a collection of related
data and functions”
OBJECT DATA
Objects contain data like any other data record.
Data can be of many different types – characters, strings, integers,
booleans, dates etc.
1 or several data items will identify the data object;
Often in object oriented development you will need to identify
objects from scenarios.
A scenarios is an outline of events which happen at different times
during system execution.
The nouns in the scenario are a good indicator of the objects
Objects bring TOGETHER:
systems design, and
Programming using a single definition in both
Problem of objects is that they are Very inefficient to produce a
system which has the same operations and variables for each object
CLASSES
THE NEED FOR A CLASS
A ‘class’ is a software
design which describes
the general properties of
Class
something which the
software is modelling.
Individual
‘objects’ are
created from
the class
design for each
Object 1 Object 2 Object 3 Object 4
actual thing
6
CLASSES
A class is a “template” that defines the methods and
variables to be a particular type of object.
Objects of a class are called instances
Class names should be singular nouns
Class names should come directly from the problem
domain
If you cannot think of a name then there may be a
problem with the design
REPRESENTING UML CLASSES
Class Name
Attributes
Operations
EXAMPLE UML CLASS
Car
EngineStatus
Gear
Speed
startEngine()
stopEngine() Remember that
changeGear() the class is a
template for creating
objects
CLASS ASSOCIATIONS (I)
Represent relationships between instance of classes
Person owns a car
Association has two possible roles
Each a direction on the association
car to person (driven_by) & person to car
(drives)
Class Class
Association
CLASS ASSOCIATION CONTN’D
Association has two possible roles
Each a direction on the association
car to person (driven_by) & person to car (drives)
A role can be labeled
You can name the role after the target class
Symbols used in multiplicity include the following
1 (exactly one)
n (where n is a single number)
* (the range 0 to infinity)
1 .. * (the range 1 to infinity)
n1 .. n2 (where n1 and n2 are single numbers forming a range)
0 .. 1 (zero or one)
MULTIPLICITY EXAMPLE
One Person associates with one car
Car Person
EngineStatus Age
Gear 1 Height
Speed
1 Driver
startEngine() driveCar()
stopEngine()
changeGear()
ASSOCIATION CLASS
Allows you to add attributes, operations and other features to
associations
Student Module
1..*
studentId moduleId
Attendance 6
NEW CLASS EXAMPLE
Student 1..* Module
studentId moduleId
6
1 1
studentModuleDetails
studentId, moduleId
attendance, marks 1..*
6 register(),marking()
NEW CLASS EXAMPLE
Student Module
studentId moduleId
1 1
studentModuleDetails
moduleId, studentId
attendance, marks 1..*
6 register(),marking()
AGGREGATION & COMPOSITION
COMPOSITE OBJECTS
Objects which contain other objects are called composite objects.
Fuel Tank
Motorcycle
Engine Wheels
Frame
COMPOSITE OBJECTS
Motorcycle
Frame Wheels Fuel Tank Engine
AGGREGATION
Aggregation is often referred to as “the part-of
relationship” or the “has a” relationship
With aggregation the relationship implies that the “whole
is related to its part”
A Car has an engine and wheels
AGGREGATION CONTN’D
1
Car Engine
Drives
Person
Aggregation
COMPOSITION
There is a stronger variety of aggregation called
composition
The part object(s) have no meaning when the
relationship is broken.
Part object(s) live and die with the whole
If the COMPONENT OBJECT is detached from its
composite object and can sensibly exist apart from the
Composite Object then the relationship is aggregation,
otherwise it is composition.
COMPOSITION
Diagram illustration
Book Pages
Composition
INHERITANCE
GENERALISATION
Also known
as Vehicle
inheritance
Car Lorry
INHERITANCE EXAMPLE(1)
Consider these objects
Red Car Yellow Truck
Blue Car Green Truck
INHERITANCE EXAMPLE(2)
We can see that there are two car objects and two truck
objects
There are two classes ...
Car Truck
SUPERCLASSES AND SUBCLASSES
A class defined in terms of another.
SuperClass
Subclasses
AN INHERITANCE TREE
Vehicle
Car Truck
SportsCar Hatchback Fixed Wheel Articulated
Base
2 axle 3 axle
INHERITANCE TREE
Vehicle
is a vehicle
Truck is a truck
Fixed Wheel is a Fixed WheelBase
Base
3 axle
A 3 axle truck
MULTIPLE INHERITANCE
Manager Salesman
SalaryAddition() SalaryAddition()
Management’s
Bonus Salesperson’s
Sales Manager Commission
