Software Design & Analysis

Lecture 4

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 Object Associations
• An association relates, links or attaches
different objects
• Example
– Teacher and Computer
– Department and Employees
– Students and courses

2
 Types of Associations
• Simple association

• Aggregation

• Composition

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 Simple Association
• A simple association simply relates two or
more objects

• This is the weakest kind of association

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 Example

owns
Teacher Computer
1 1

register
Student Course
n n

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 Aggregation
• This is a stronger kind of association

• There is a part-whole relationship between

the participating objects

• The aggregate object owns the parts

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 Examples

Vehicle Part
n

Country Region
n

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 Composition
• Composition is a stronger kind of aggregation
– Part-whole relation
– Lifetime binding
– Information hiding
– No sharing

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 Example
Building Room
n

Address
street
city
Emp
province
n country
phone
email

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class Building {
private:
Room r[10];
...
};

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 Summary
Simple Aggregation Composition
Relationship Yes Yes Yes
Part-whole Yes Yes
Lifetime binding Yes
Information hiding Yes
No sharing Yes

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 Implementation of Association
class Teacher {
private:
Computer* c;
public:
void add(Computer* c) {
this->c = c;
}
...
};
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 Implementation of Association ...
class Computer {
private:
Teacher* t;
public:
void add(Teacher* t) {
this->t = t;
}
...
};
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 Implementation of Association ...
int main() {
Teacher t1(..), t2(..);
Computer c1(..), c2(..), c3(..);
t1.add(&c2);
c2.add(&t1);
t2.add(&c2);
return 0;
}

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 Implementation of Composition
• Two ways
– Using objects
– using pointers

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 Composition using pointers
• Make sure characteristics of “containment by
value”

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Implementation of Composition

List Node
n

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Incorrect Implementation of Composition

class List {
private:
Node *head, *tail;
...
public:
void add(Node* n) {
tail->next = n;
tail = tail->next;
}
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Implementation of Composition ...
class List {
private:
Node *head, *tail;
...
public:
void add(int x) {
tail->next = new Node(x);
tail = tail->next;
}
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Implementation of Composition ...
~List() {
Node* ptr = head;
while (ptr != tail) {
delete ptr;
ptr = ptr->next;
}
}

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Implementation of Composition ...
int main() {
List ls, ls2;
ls.add(10);
ls.add(20);
...
ls2.add(..);
return 0;
}

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 Implementation of Aggregation
• Same as that of simple association

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 Question
• Why aggregation?

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 Answer
• Aggregation increases readability

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 Example

NewClass2 NewClass4

Vehicle

NewClass3
NewClass5

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 Example ...

NewClass2 Component

Vehicle

NewClass3
NewClass5

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 Answer ...
• Aggregation provides another form of
abstraction

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 Example

Source: OOSE by Lethbridge & Laganiere

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 Note
• Type of association might change depending
upon the context!

• In case of doubt, select a weaker relationship

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 Example

Patient Organ
n

Liver Heart Kidney Lungs

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The End

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