COMP2511

Recap: Program Design

• Programming via functions
  • ​Input, output, processing
  • Variables (data) are locally scoped
  • No persistent state
• What if we want persistent state?
  • Our functions must have side effects (Imperative Programming)
  • Operate on variables / data that lives at a higher scope
• How do we do this for large programs with multiple functions operating on shared mutable state?
• First attempt: A global data store, a series of functions to perform queries and mutations on the data

Decoupling

• Our data structure becomes tied, or coupled to our operations on that data
• We must introduce layers of abstraction
  • Data becomes hidden behind a public interface
  • External clients of the Abstract Data Type can only interact with the data via the interface
  • Decouples implementations from one another.
  • Dependency Inversion: Programming to an interface, not to an implementation
  • ​When we make a change in one place, we minimise the number of other places that break

Enforcing Encapsulation via Access Modifiers

• Java provides support for keeping data and methods "hidden" in classes via access modifiers
• Methods and fields (members) in a class can be public, private, protected, default
• Public - accessible to all
  • ​Fields should not be public unless they are immutable static constants (static final)
• Private - only accessible to other members of the class
  • ​Standard practice for all fields in classes
  • Allow other classes to interact with the members via getters and setters

Enforcing Encapsulation via Access Modifiers

• Protected - only accessible to other members of the class or subclass
  • Why keep fields hidden from child classes?
• Default
  • ​​Accessible to other classes in the same package
  • Methods not intended to be used outside the package should be marked as default
  • ​Fields should not be marked as default