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O

object: The primitive element in an object-oriented programming environment. Unlike traditional programming languages, which separate functions and data, object-oriented programming languages combine into a single entity all the information that the object needs to operate, which includes its data and its functions. In object-oriented terms, an object's data are its attributes, and an object's functions are its methods. In G2, an object is any user-defined or built-in class that inherits from the OBJECT class or any subclass of the OBJECT class. Contrast with item.

Object Request Broker (ORB): The runtime component of a CORBA system.

object-oriented design: A technique for designing and implementing applications where you combine into a single entity all the information it needs to interact with the software environment, including its data and its functions, as well as its public and its private representation. See also encapsulation and information hiding.

operational prototyping:. A technique for designing and implementing applications where you incrementally build your application based on an operational prototype with participation from end users and knowledge engineers. The operational prototype is fully functional at any point during development. See also participatory design, rapid prototyping, and goal-based design.

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