Reus, Bernhard (2002) Class-based versus object-based: a denotational comparison. In: Kirchner, Helene and Ringeissen, Christophe (eds.) Algebraic Methodology and Software Technology: Proceedings of the 9th International Conference, AMAST 2002, Saint-Gilles-les- Bains, Reunion Island, France. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2422 . Springer-Verlag, London, UK., pp. 45-88. ISBN 3540441441

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Abstract

In object-oriented programming one distinguishes two kinds of languages. Class-based languages are centered around the concept of classes as descriptions of objects. In object-based languages the concept of a class is substituted by constructs for the creation of individual objects. Usually, the object-based languages attract interest because of their "simplicity". This paper contains a thorough denotational analysis which reveals that simplicity is quickly lost if one tackles verification issues. This is due to what is sometimes called "recursion through the store". By providing a denotational semantics for a simple class-based and a simple object-based language it is shown that the denotational semantics of the object-based language needs much more advanced domain theoretic machinery than the class based one. The gap becomes even wider when we define concepts of specification and appropriate verification rules.

Item Type:	Book Section
Schools and Departments:	School of Engineering and Informatics > Informatics
Subjects:	Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA0075 Electronic computers. Computer science
Depositing User:	Chris Keene
Date Deposited:	03 Mar 2008
Last Modified:	08 Nov 2013 14:29
URI:	http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/1433
Google Scholar:	8 Citations

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