HP Labs Technical Reports

Object-Oriented Techniques for C Programmers - A Series of Test and Measurement Examples

Burch, Jeff

HPL-95-07

Keyword(s):

Abstract: This paper introduces object-oriented (OO) programming techniques to the C programmer. Unlike most books on this subject that immediately launch into OO jargon, this paper leads the reader through a series of increasingly complex procedural programming examples. In each step, realistic problems are presented and improvements to an example C program are introduced. In the final step, the program is re-written in C++. All examples in this paper come from an hypothetical measurement system application. Some experience in building systems to control instruments and familiarity with making measurements is assumed. The document concludes with a concise summary of techniques that C programmers can use today without switching to an object-oriented language. However, the document also stresses that using the C++ compiler to manage the necessary initialization details is warranted.

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