VU VICKY Virtual University Assignment Solution, Past Papers, Handouts and other material

Lecture No.04                       

Lecture Contents

·         Generalization

·         Sub typing (extension)

·         Specialization (restriction)

·         Overriding

·         Abstract classes

·         Concrete classes

Recap – Inheritance

·         Derived class inherits all the characteristics of the base class

·         Besides inherited characteristics, derived class may have its own unique characteristics

·         Major benefit of inheritance is reuse

01.1.     Concepts Related with Inheritance

 

o   Generalization

o   Subtyping (extension)

o   Specialization (restriction)

 

01.2.     Generalization

In OO models, some classes may have common characteristics.

We extract these features into a new class and inherit original classes from this new class. There are many objects with common characteristics in object model. The common characteristics (attributes and behaviour) of all these objects are combined in a single general class. Base class encapsulates the idea of commonality of derived classes. Base class is general class representing common behaviour of all derived classes.

This concept is known as Generalization.

It reduces the redundancy and gives us reusability, using generalization our solution becomes less complex.

In generalization there should be “Is a Kind of Relationship” (also called “Is A relationship”) between base and child classes.

Example: Line, Circle and Triangle

Line is shape                       Circle is a shape               Triangle is a shape

Common attributes

Color vertices

Common behaviour

Set Color, Move

Example: Student Doctor and Teacher

Common attributes,              Name, age, gender

Common behaviour Eat, Walk

Sub-typing & Specialization

We want to add a new class to an existing model

We have developed an existing class hierarchy

Find an existing class that already implements some of the desired state and behaviour

Inherit the new class from this class and add unique behaviour to the new class

01.3.     Sub-typing (Extension)

Sub-typing means that derived class is behaviourally compatible with the base class

Derived class has all the characteristics of base class plus some extra characteristics

Behaviourally compatible means that base class can be replaced by the derived class

Sub-typing (Extension) - Example

Circle is extending the behaviour of shape, it is extending attributes of shape by adding radius similarly it is extending behaviour of shape by adding compute Circumference and compute Area.	Student has two extra attributes program and studyYear Similarly it has extended behaviour by adding study and takeExam.

Subtyping and generalization are related concepts, Subtyping (extension) and generalization is a way to look same thing in two ways.

Sub typing is looking at things from Top to bottom whereas in generalization we look at things from bottom to top.

01.4.     Specialization (Restriction)

We want to add a class to existing hierarchy of classes having many similarities to already existing classes but some part of its behaviour is different or restricted. In that case we will use the concept of specialization.

Specialization means that derived class is behaviourally incompatible with the base class

Behaviourally incompatibility means that base class can’t always be replaced by the derived class

Derived class has some different of restricted characteristics than of base class.

Example – Specialization (Restriction)

Suppose we want to add one more class of Adult for some special requirement like for ID card generation such that it is a person but its age is greater than 18 and having all other behaviour of that of person class. One solution is that we write another class from beginning  and write all code of person again in it with age limit, but better solution is that we derive adult class from person class and restrict age in that class as shown below in diagram,

Similarly Natural Numbers are also Integers with the restriction that natural numbers set can NOT contain zero or negative integers it consists of only positive integers so we can implement this relationship also as specialization,

Add method behaviour is present in both base and derived classes but derived class behaviour is different in derived class. Derived class will not exhibit the behaviour of base class but it is overriding behaviour of base class with its own behaviour.

01.5.     Overriding

A class may need to override the default behaviour provided by its base class

Derived class overrides the behaviour of its base class.

Reasons for overriding

Provide behaviour specific to a derived class (specialization)

Extend the default behaviour (extension)

Restrict the default behaviour (restriction)

Improve performance

It is used for the implementation of inheritance.

Example – Specific Behaviour (Specialization)

Example – Extention

 – Restriction

Example – Improve Performance

Class Circle overrides rotate operation of class Shape with a Null operation.

01.6.     Abstract Classes

In our examples we made classes for shape and person. These are abstract concepts and the classes we make against abstract concepts are called abstract classes.  They are present at or near the top in the class hierarchy to present most generalized behaviour.

An abstract class implements an abstract concept

Main purpose is to be inherited by other classes

Can’t be instantiated

Promotes reuse

Abstract Classes - Example I

Here, Shape is an abstract class

Abstract Class	Shape
Concrete Classes	Circle	Line	Triangle	….

Abstract Classes - Example II

Here, Person is an abstract class

Abstract Class	Person
Concrete Classes	Student	Teacher	Doctor	Engineer	Director	….

Abstract Classes - Example III

Here, Vehicle is an abstract class

Abstract Class	Vehicle
Concrete Classes	Car	Bus	Truck	….

Abstract Classes can not exist standalone in an object model

While making object model we start by finding out objects in our object model and then we find out objects having common attributes and make them in the form of general classes at the top of class hierarchies.

01.7.     Concrete Classes

The entities that actually we see in our real world are called concrete objects and classes made against these objects are called concrete classes.

A concrete class implements a concrete concept

These are used to instantiate objects in our programs

Provides implementation details specific to the domain context

Concrete Classes - Example I

Here Student, Teacher and Doctor are concrete classes

Concrete Classes - Example II

 

 

Here Car, Bus and Truck are concrete classes

·         A concrete class may exist in an object model independently

·         Concrete classes mostly lie below the top of class hierarchy in a good object model.

If there is an abstract class then hierarchy exists in the object model as there will definitely be some concrete classes as well derived from this abstract class otherwise there is no use of abstract class.

Glossary:

1. Natural numbers: numbers from 1 to …….onwards
2. Integers: all positive and negative numbers …..-3,-2,-1,0,1,2,3………
3. Whole numbers: numbers from 0 ,1 ,2, 3 ….onwards  (natural no’s including 0)

Some times whole numbers are also called numbers without fractional part.

---

Natural numbers: positive integers only (numbers from 1 to …….onwards)

Integers: all positive and negative numbers (…..-3 , -2 , -1 , 0 , 1 , 2 , 3………)