object [English]
InterPARES Definition
n. ~ 1. IP2 · A tangible entity. – 2. Computing · A particular instance of a class that encapsulates properties (data) and methods (functions) define in the class template.
Other Definitions
- Merriam-Webster Online (†395 ): a : a data structure in object-oriented programming that can contain functions as well as data, variables, and other data structures ¶ b : a discrete entity (such as a window or icon) in computer graphics that can be manipulated independently of other such entities
Citations
- Dictionary of Computing 1996 (†517 s.v. "object"): In object-oriented design, objects are the basic components from which the model of the system to be implemented is constructed. In object-oriented programming, the term has a more precise definition. A object is an instance of a component comprising data structures and procedures (called methods) for manipulating the structures. These methods are activated by messages sense to the object, and the interior structure of the object is entirely hidden from any other object (a property called encapsulation). Objects are derived from a template, and the collection of objects that are instances of a particular template are said to form a class. (†2529)
- Gartner IT Glossary (†298 s.v. object data model): An object data model is a data model based on object-oriented programming, associating methods (procedures) with objects that can benefit from class hierarchies. Thus, “objects” are levels of abstraction that include attributes and behavior. An object-oriented data model is one that extends the individual program space into the world of persistent object management and shareability. (†2689)