ACADEMIA Letters Object-Oriented Programming and Software Development Paradigm Ifeanyi Nwokoro, Ihechukwu Madubuike Institute of Technology (IMIT) Obikwelu Okonkwo, Alex-Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo Uzoma Alo, Alex-Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo Augustina Nwatu, Alex-Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo Abstract Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) Software Development Paradigm, birthed some few decades ago with provisions for a varied understanding of programming languages than the primordial procedural programming parlance in software development (FORTRAN, Pascal, C, and etcetera). The OOP ab-initio didn’t provide some resounding assurances and attractively structured codes to the users without the use of “goto” provisions. OOP at this point has attained some feet as excellent programming practices are now guaranteed and be defined. OOP is attributed as a methodology or a tactic that focused on such ways objects work together to express data sharing. It has changed the procedural conception of programming where vast attention is saddled on procedures and logic. There are seven essential concepts in Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) Software Development. The first is an Object. An Object is an encapsulated entity that provides sets of predetermined services at a given period. It is also looked upon as anything that has existence and with some value. Subsequently is Class; a class is the main body of a system. It creates the federating units of a system. We also have Generalization, Inheritance, Abstraction, Polymorphism, and Encapsulation. Not all programmers believe that OOP is a methodology. Academia Letters, September 2021 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Ifeanyi Nwokoro, ifeanyinwokoro@gmail.com Citation: Nwokoro, I., Okonkwo, O., Alo, U., Nwatu, A. (2021). Object-Oriented Programming and Software Development Paradigm. Academia Letters, Article 3443. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL3443. 1 Keywords: Object-Oriented Programming, Procedural Programming, Object, Software Development Class, Inheritance, Polymorphism, Encapsulation, Abstraction, Generalization 1.0 Introduction Software is termed a group of related programs that perform specific functions. The software development life cycle is a process of building good software and in life cycle stages provides quality and correctness of good software.[1] Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) is a programming language that is designed within objects instead of procedures and emphasis on data rather than logic. The Object-Oriented paradigms suggest we should model instructions in a computer program with the data they manipulate and store these as components together. One advantage of doing this is we get reusable software components.[2] In OOP, data is seen as input which is processed for the resultant information. 2.0 Literature Review Computer programming has passed through a period of chaos as it has made programmers undergo uneven learning and application processes. Codes are fashioned in some ways that a programmer may not decipher what another programmer may have presented with their codes. Worst it is that a programmer who wrote some codes may forget the essence of such codes after a while. Computer Programming commenced with some great works from John Von Neumann, Charles Babbage, and etcetera. The Assembly language and the other procedural-based programming of the 1950s, Structured programming techniques of the late 1960s, Modular programming concepts 1970s, and Object-Oriented programming of the late 1980s have taken their turns to influence the computer programming and software development landscape. 2.1 Assembly Language Assembly language as acknowledged by Wikipedia is a programming language that can be used to directly tell the computer what to do. An assembly language is alike to the language of a computer, apart from that it employs some words called mnemonics in replace for numbers. A computer does not understand an assembly program without an assembler. Assembler changes the program into machine-readable code and substituting the mnemonic with the binary outlook which they represent. It is a programming language that is a close approximation of the binary machine code.[3] Academia Letters, September 2021 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Ifeanyi Nwokoro, ifeanyinwokoro@gmail.com Citation: Nwokoro, I., Okonkwo, O., Alo, U., Nwatu, A. (2021). Object-Oriented Programming and Software Development Paradigm. Academia Letters, Article 3443. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL3443. 2 2.2 Procedure-Based programming Procedural programming uses subroutines as functions. It is built on procedures and functions other than objects and data. In procedural programming, codes are structured into smaller units called procedures. As in software development, these functions accept inputs process them, and display output. The vital information at this point is that there is no correlation between the functions and the procedures with the data at which is being utilized. Function as well as the procedure carry out their different assignments and produce the exact expectations or results as long as the appropriate information is given. So in a procedural system, our functions/procedures use data “given” to them (as parameters) but also directly access any shared data they need.[4] It is trite to note that procedural programming gives some sets of commands by informing the computer of the exact tasks in a stepwise refinement from the foremost line of codes to the other lines. Examples of procedural programming languages are Pascal, C, FORTRAN, and BASIC. 2.3 Object-Oriented programming The Object-Oriented Design paradigm is a dynamic and vast area for research purposes in software development. This paper will exposes application developers and thrill-seekers to an initiative that deals with pattern and object specifications. The Object-Oriented Programming paradigm is centered on Classes and in Objects. For an instance is a class of Animals. Classes also have subclasses and could inherit properties. An example of a sub-class could be a dog called Bingo. Bingo eats meat as all male dogs in Nigeria eat meat. This paper would give details on the importance of OOP and software development which would inculcate some specific understanding of dependency and collaboration benefits between the attributing patterns and paradigm shift. 3.0 Concepts of Object-Oriented Programming Object-Oriented Programming concepts are exceedingly important in program development. The fundamental concepts of OOP are as follows: • Objects • Classes • Abstraction • Encapsulation Academia Letters, September 2021 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Ifeanyi Nwokoro, ifeanyinwokoro@gmail.com Citation: Nwokoro, I., Okonkwo, O., Alo, U., Nwatu, A. (2021). Object-Oriented Programming and Software Development Paradigm. Academia Letters, Article 3443. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL3443. 3 • Inheritance • Polymorphism 3.1 Objects Objects are the states and behaviors of entities in an Object-Oriented structure. An object is an encapsulated entity that provides a set of services at a given time in software development. In programming, problems are examined with regards to objects and their nature of communication amongst them. Objects are bound to interact with one another at the point of program execution by sending messages and other communications without their precise knowledge of individual details to data and code sequence. 3.2 Classes A ‘class’ is a software design that describes the general properties of something which the software is modeling.[5] Class is the main body of a program as it illustrates some specifics during program initiation. A class is seen also as a set of objects with related types. If a class is defined, it provides the creation of objects that belong to that particular class. Class diagrams are vital in the description of system architecture. 3.3 Data Abstraction Abstraction is attributed in software development as an act of presenting important characteristics without the need to instill some surrounding clarifications. Data Abstraction is a design technique that focuses on the essential attributes and behavior. It is a collection of the indispensable features and behavior relevant to programming a given entity for a specific problem domain, relative to the perspective of the user.[6] The principle of abstraction is wholly used to define some attributes in classes and storing data in Object-Oriented Programming. Abstraction allows us to consider complex ideas while ignoring irrelevant detail that would confuse us.[7] 3.4 Encapsulation In OOP classes do encapsulation and the variables, methods, and functions are hidden inside them and manage coding in software systems development.[8] The knowledge of an object is no longer necessary once the object is created unlike in structural programming. The object has some capabilities to conceal some vital parts of it from nosy and thrill-seekers to avert Academia Letters, September 2021 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Ifeanyi Nwokoro, ifeanyinwokoro@gmail.com Citation: Nwokoro, I., Okonkwo, O., Alo, U., Nwatu, A. (2021). Object-Oriented Programming and Software Development Paradigm. Academia Letters, Article 3443. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL3443. 4 interference of its contents. Encapsulation allows us to focus on what something does without considering the complexities of how it works.[9] In encapsulation, codes are combined and operated as a distinct measure. This ensures security within the data from misuse and abuse. 3.5 Inheritance Inheritance is a concept in Object Oriented Programming by which objects can acquire the characteristics of objects in another class and ensures the reusability of codes without the stress of creating them again. Inheritance gives any user the provision to utilize the same code in his program just by changing the definition of its variables.[10] Inheritance allows the reusability of codes between classes. 3.6 Polymorphism In polymorphism, objects could be processed differently with the help of their data types and classes. It is the aptitude at which dissimilar objects react to a message in different patterns by taking more than a composition. It allows a single name or operator to be associated with different operations.[11] Polymorphism gives the way to represent variables as a group or a common way to represent the variables.[12] 4.0 Object-Oriented Programming Paradigm An Object-Oriented programming paradigm is constructed beyond the outlook of the structured programming paradigm. It is centered on assisting programmers to cushion the effects of structured programming with the analysis and design undertakings during software development by making certain that the software is stout and easy to maintain after a long time. OOP is an enhanced technique of resolving systems dilemma and harm as compared to the procedural programming languages. OOP utilizes classes that contain variables and functions as it is called a modular kind of programming structure. OOP is a type of programming in which programmers define not only the data type of a data structure but also the types of operations that can be applied to the data structure. In this way, the data structure becomes an object that includes both data and functions. In addition, programmers can create relationships between one object and another. For example, objects can inherit characteristics from other objects.[13] In OOP, programmers are enabled to create some modules which are bound not to be changed nor edited when a new type of object is integrated as it supports inheritance. This Academia Letters, September 2021 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Ifeanyi Nwokoro, ifeanyinwokoro@gmail.com Citation: Nwokoro, I., Okonkwo, O., Alo, U., Nwatu, A. (2021). Object-Oriented Programming and Software Development Paradigm. Academia Letters, Article 3443. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL3443. 5 gives object-oriented programs ease to modification. For programmers can make do with C++, Python, Java, and Smalltalk in an Object-Oriented paradigm. The structured programming paradigm proposed that programs could be developed in sensible blocks that make the program more understandable and easier to maintain. The ObjectOriented paradigms suggest we should model instructions in a computer program with the data they manipulate and store these as components together. One advantage of doing this is we get reusable software components.[14] 5.0 Object-Oriented Modeling in Software Development Object-Oriented Modeling (OOM) is a universal standard modeling technique in the software development of applications, businesses, and system realms through the application of the object-oriented paradigm in the developmental process. OOM is a foremost method that is profoundly applied in the Object-Oriented Analysis (OOA) and the Object-Oriented Design (OOD) actions in software development. Object-oriented modeling typically divides into two aspects of work: the modeling of dynamic behaviors like business processes and use cases, and the modeling of static structures like classes and components. OOA and OOD are the two distinct abstract levels (i.e. the analysis level and the design level) during OOM. The Unified Modeling Language (UML) and SysML are the two popular international standard languages used for object-oriented modeling.[15] OOM is proficient and effective in communication as users do not find it difficult to understand spec documents and codes. Visual model diagrams can be more understandable and can allow users and stakeholders to give developers feedback on the appropriate requirements and structure of the system. A key goal of the object-oriented approach is to decrease the “semantic gap” between the system and the real world and to have the system be constructed using terminology that is almost the same as the stakeholders use in everyday business. Objectoriented modeling is an essential tool to facilitate this.[16] OOM has functional and established abstraction as modeling supports coding. Objectoriented modeling enables this by producing abstract and accessible descriptions of both system requirements and designs, i.e. models that define their essential structures and behaviors like processes and objects, which are important and valuable development assets with higher abstraction levels above concrete and complex source code.[17] Academia Letters, September 2021 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Ifeanyi Nwokoro, ifeanyinwokoro@gmail.com Citation: Nwokoro, I., Okonkwo, O., Alo, U., Nwatu, A. (2021). Object-Oriented Programming and Software Development Paradigm. Academia Letters, Article 3443. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL3443. 6 6.0 Object-Oriented Analysis and Design (OOAD) This is an acceptable software development tool for analyzing and designing a computer application using object-oriented programming to ensure good product quality in a development life cycle. OOAD in modern software engineering is best conducted iteratively and incrementally. Iteration by iteration, the outputs of OOAD activities, analysis models for OOA, and design models for OOD respectively, will be refined and evolve continuously driven by key factors like risks and business value.[18] In the early days of object-oriented technology before the mid-1990s, there were many different competing methodologies for software development and object-oriented modeling, often tied to specific Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tool vendors. No standard notations, consistent terms, and process guides were the major concerns at the time, which degraded communication efficiency and lengthened learning curves.[19] In 1994, the Three Amigos of Rational Software started working together to develop the Unified Modeling Language (UML). Later, together with Philippe Kruchtenand Walker Royce, they have led a successful mission to merge their methodologies, OMT, OOSE, and Booch method, with various insights and experiences from other industry leaders into the Rational Unified Process (RUP), a comprehensive iterative and incremental process guide and framework for learning industry best practices of software development and project management. Since then, the Unified Process family has become probably the most popular methodology and the reference model for object-oriented analysis and design.[20] The software life cycle is usually alienated in several stages from the planning to analysis to design and next to integration after which the system is produced. The most basic stages of the process are analysis and design. The analysis stage is also known as the “requirements acquisition stage”. 7.0 Conclusion The research paper has drawn out the essence of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) in this modern programming milieu. OOP is properly-suited as the most appropriate paradigm in the complexities of software development. OOP presents some ways of seeing and solving real-time problems and mustering solutions just like the human intelligence system. Academia Letters, September 2021 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Ifeanyi Nwokoro, ifeanyinwokoro@gmail.com Citation: Nwokoro, I., Okonkwo, O., Alo, U., Nwatu, A. (2021). Object-Oriented Programming and Software Development Paradigm. Academia Letters, Article 3443. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL3443. 7 References [1] S. Barbey, M. Ammann, and A. Strohmeier. Open issues in testing Object Oriented software. In K. F. (Ed.), editor, ECSQ ’94 (European Conference on Software Quality), pages 257–267, vdf Hochschulverlag AG an der ETH Z¨urich, Basel, Switzerland, October 1994. [2] Simon Kendal. (2009). Object-Oriented Programming using Java, www.bookboon.com, eBook Company, ISBN 978-87-7681-501-1, 14P. [3] Boronczyk, Timothy (11 June 2009). “What’s Wrong with OBJECT ORIENTED PROGRAMMING”, zaemis.blogspot.com. [4] Kindler, E.; Krivy, I. (2011). Object-Oriented Simulation of systems with sophisticated control. 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ISBN 0-20154435-0. [20] Paul A. Longley, Michael F. Goodchild, David J. Maguire, David W. Rhind (2005). Geographic Information Systems and Science.2nd Edition. John Wiley & Sons. Academia Letters, September 2021 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Ifeanyi Nwokoro, ifeanyinwokoro@gmail.com Citation: Nwokoro, I., Okonkwo, O., Alo, U., Nwatu, A. (2021). Object-Oriented Programming and Software Development Paradigm. Academia Letters, Article 3443. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL3443. 9 Figures Figure 1. Waterfall Model for Software Development Academia Letters, September 2021 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Ifeanyi Nwokoro, ifeanyinwokoro@gmail.com Citation: Nwokoro, I., Okonkwo, O., Alo, U., Nwatu, A. (2021). Object-Oriented Programming and Software Development Paradigm. Academia Letters, Article 3443. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL3443. 10 Figure 2. Class Diagram of the University Information Management System Academia Letters, September 2021 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Ifeanyi Nwokoro, ifeanyinwokoro@gmail.com Citation: Nwokoro, I., Okonkwo, O., Alo, U., Nwatu, A. (2021). Object-Oriented Programming and Software Development Paradigm. Academia Letters, Article 3443. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL3443. 11 Figure 3. Object Diagram of the Post Graduate Student Information System Academia Letters, September 2021 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Ifeanyi Nwokoro, ifeanyinwokoro@gmail.com Citation: Nwokoro, I., Okonkwo, O., Alo, U., Nwatu, A. (2021). Object-Oriented Programming and Software Development Paradigm. Academia Letters, Article 3443. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL3443. 12