Summary

This is an introductory text to object oriented design and C++. The adoption of C++ as a programming language presents a number of challenges, not least to reduce the degree of freedom available to the programmer. It explores some of these difficulties and their resolutions, by imposing on the language the use of an object model. This is also expressed in the design language LOOM which, in addition to constraining the form of the model, also removes the arcane syntax of C++ and its confusing syntax. The emergence of a number of object oriented methods offers the opportunity to impose object oriented modelling and designs into the development process from the beginning, ahead of implementation concerns. LOOM reinforces the holistic nature of the object model where there is less division between the phases of the software life cycle. It also provides the balance between the power and flexiblity of the C++ programming language and the control required in its usage. In this way LOOM reduces the risk involved in the adoption of C++ as an implementation language. A disk is included. LOOM has been incorporated into a design tool called ROME.