How to Use Object Oriented Programming Techniques in COBOL

Object oriented programming is a form of programming that focuses on the objects, or data, rather than the procedure of manipulating the data. While COBOL is an older language, and not thought of as modern enough to use object oriented programming techniques, it is not only possible but beneficial to use them. It reduces duplicate data. Plus, it can help decrease processing time and server loads if used correctly. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

1. Decide exactly what the program needs to do, in order to get started with object oriented programming in COBOL. Define what input data is going to be used, and what output data is desired.

2. Identify all the objects that are needed in the program. An object is any data that is needed in order to get the relevant output from the program. An object is manipulated throughout the program to produce the desired results.

3. Generalize objects as a class. In other words, an instance of a class is an object. An example of this would be a class defined as shirts. An instance of a class could be a short sleeved shirt, long sleeved shirt, tank top or any other shirt.

4. Define any logic sequences that can manipulate the class. These are calculations or change of formats that can alter the class and it's objects.

5. Design and define interfaces to send and receive messages. These interfaces allow both the user to send and receive messages with the program, and allows the program to send and receive messages within itself.