OOP Checklist

See Checklists

This page contains a checklist for creating an abstract data type or data container.

Java

More "formal" abstract data types in Java typically conform to the Collections interfaces. These can be quite extensive. On the other hand, less functional data containers can provide one-off solutions, but get in the way of reusability. The following checklist covers functionality/features that data containers should provide, ranging from less complicated to more complicated.

• Java/Abstract Class - Data containers should probably make use of abstract classes. This can make code organization (finding which method is implemented in which child or parent class) a pain.
• Java/Interfaces - related to abstract classes, but not quite the same. Require that certain methods be implemented, but do not do anything further (whereas, virtual classes can actually implement a method.)
• Java/Encapsulation - Use private/public. Heuristics for private/public?
• Java/Iterable -Make the tree iterable. Provide an automated way of iterating over each node in the tree.
• Java/Generics - Use generic types whenever/wherever possible! (interfaces too.)

So, the ADT checklist boils down to:

• Abstract Classes and Interfaces
• Encapsulation
• Iterables
• Generics

Python

Many of same principles/checklists hold for Python:

• abstract classes and virtual methods
• encapsulation (underscore for method names - knowing HOW to make things private)
• iterables
• generic types (well, okay... maybe not. ctypes?)

Flags

See also:

• Template:DataStructuresFlag
• Template:AlgorithmsFlag