Introduction to Object Oriented Programming

Timothy A. Budd

Chapter 15

Case Study: Container Classes

Outline

1. Strong Typing versus Containers
2. Conventional Solution
3. Containers in Dynamic Languages
4. Three Solutions
   1. Common Base Link Type
      1. The Generic List Class
      2. A Link for Double Precision Numbers
      3. Using The List Class
      4. Hiding the Links
   2. Containers that Hold Only Pointers
      1. List and Link
      2. Example, a list of Windows
   3. Best Alternative, Templates
      1. A Template List Class
      2. Using Template Classes
      3. Advantages of Templates
5. Iteration and Iterators
   1. Iterator Class

Other Material

• Self Assessment Study Questions
• The primary container library for C++, the STL, is discussed in the next chapter. That chapter also has links to related material.
• This chapters is largely concerned with containers in C++. In another book I discuss containers in Java in more detail.
• Students who want to learn more about different container abstractions can consult my two books on data structures in C++.

Intro OOP, Chapter 15, Slide 1