Modern object-oriented software development

Object-oriented (OO) programming has been around for a few years and there are many users of OO programming languages. There are, however, few true practitioners of this method. Just as it is possible to use a screwdriver as a hammer, programming with an OO language does not imply that the language is being used correctly. The same was true with the onset of structured programming languages. The development of these languages did not instantly result in users producing beautifully structured code without use of the infamous "goto". It was only later that good programming practice or an appropriate methodology was defined for this programming style. OO programming has now reached a similar situation where "good programming practice" can be defined. In this paper we describe the change in emphasis in moving from procedural to OO programming and describe some of the main techniques that are now promoted to ensure the development of good OO programs.