Abstract
The objectives of this research were to study and explore Object Oriented Design, as applied in software design, and identify those principles and concepts that could be applied in engineering design to make it more efficient. An examination of the object oriented software design philosophy, methodology and programming approach was therefore carried out. The Object Oriented Design features of Functions, Properties and Inheritance were identified as having potential value in reformatting engineering classification charts, so as to make them more useful to both neophyte and experienced engineering designers. Engineering components have evolved from their basic forms into families of components and sub-components. Classification charts are often used to represent these families. In most charts, only the names of the components are provided. The design engineer, when faced with the need to choose the best form or variant of an item on the list, has to go to disparate sources to find even the most basic information to guide design decisions. In this thesis, the feature of Inheritance is proposed as a way to organize the information in these charts. Supplementary details are provided in the form of functions and properties to enable easier access of information on the operating concepts and functional characteristics of the devices within a given family. The goal is to select the member of a given family that best meets a particular need.
Krishnamurthy, Ritesh (2002). Classification concepts from object oriented software design applied to engineering design. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -2002 -THESIS -K76.