Research Seminar - February 27, 2001

Abstract

TIMOR is the first programming language based on a new paradigm for programming, known as Component Oriented Programming (COP). COP can be viewed as a radical modification of OOP and TIMOR is based substantially on Java.

COP supports the idea of separating the development of software applications into two quite distinct phases: - the design and development of software components, in a way which can promote the development of a genuine software components industry (where appropriate for potentially very small components which can be used in many applications) and - the composition of existing components into objects which are instantiated in an actual application.

The components can be "mixed and matched" into objects, they can be dynamically composed into and deleted from objects, they support component polymorphism and also software re-use. Traditional OOP polymorphism is also supported via subtyping at the object level.

Two important principles in the design of components are - the information-hiding principle (which is rigorously enforced), and - the possibility of guaranteeing behavioural conformity in appropriate situations.

Finally COP provides a mechanism (known as "bracket routines") which allows components to be developed which modify the behaviour of other components in a fully general purpose way (e.g. to synchronise them, protect them, monitor their use, etc.).