Re: Is OOP a paradigm or methodology?
- From: "Nick Malik [Microsoft]" <nickmalik@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 24 Jul 2005 13:30:46 -0700
> Authors often refer to OOP as a programming language
> paradigm, but on reflection (albeit an academical one) I'd
> rather call it a methodology. After all, many languages now
> provide OOP possibilities within their own paradigms (eg
> imperitive, logic, functional), but do not (re-)classify
> themselves as multiparadigm languages.
>
> What say you?
The American Heritage Dictionary provides three definitions of paradigm.
The applicable one to this conversation would be:
A set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a
way of viewing reality for the community that shares them, especially in an
intellectual discipline.
Look at the words "for the community that shares them" and consider the role
of marketing. These "many" languages that now provide what you call "OOP
possibilities" clearly wish to be taken seriously by the specific community
that understands and adheres to the assumptions, concepts, values and
practices that are generally associated with OO development. In other
words, they want OO developers to give them a try.
Do they wish to extend the OO conceptual framework or do they simply hope to
gather adherants from the OO world into their own? In either case, it makes
no sense to classify themselves as multi-paradigm languages. If they are
extending the OO conceptual framework ("new and improved OOP"), then they
fall within the boundaries of OO thought. Therefore, one paradigm.
If they wish to gather 'converts,' then to classify themselves as
multi-paradigm is to reduce the compelling nature of their offering, because
it becomes "just another OO language." Therefore, while they would share OO
features to make it easy for folks to switch, the goal is to be more
"something else" than to be a better OO language. In that case, they are
not rewarded for making any statement that would imply "one of a crowd".
Which is more correct? Should others, outside the development and marketing
of a language, be doing the re-classifying? I'd oppose that. The term
"paradigm" has become nearly useless as it is due the vague usage that comes
from throwing too many meanings at it. Assume you were to create a project
that would decide if language X fits in the OO paradigm. Your project
would have to examine two arguments: is OO a paradigm, and does language X
fit within it?
The answer is: it doesn't matter, and making it matter just dilutes the
meaning of the word even further.
--
--- Nick Malik [Microsoft]
MCSD, CFPS, Certified Scrummaster
http://blogs.msdn.com/nickmalik
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this forum are my own, and not
representative of my employer.
I do not answer questions on behalf of my employer. I'm just a
programmer helping programmers.
--
.
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- Is OOP a paradigm or methodology?
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- Is OOP a paradigm or methodology?
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