->slos;

Conceptual Understanding¶

1. Define encapsulation and data hiding, and explain why both are necessary for proper abstract data typing.

2. Distinguish between a type, an abstract data type (ADT), and an encapsulation mechanism.

3. Explain the two problems that arise when ADT implementation details are exposed (interface bypass and unauthorized operations), and describe why they increase maintenance costs.

Encapsulation Mechanisms¶

4. Compare and contrast the three encapsulation mechanisms — module/package, class, and functional closure — including their respective trade-offs in flexibility, reusability, and performance.

5. Explain the historical progression from structured programming → modular programming → object-oriented programming and the motivation behind each transition.

Modules and Packages¶

6. Describe the role of Ada’s private keyword in separating public interface from private implementation in a package specification.

7. Differentiate between using a package as an ADT container (where the ADT is passed as a parameter) versus using it as a singleton “object.”

8. Explain how Ada’s generic packages solve the “one object” limitation of non-generic modules.

Classes¶

9. Trace the lineage of the class construct from Simula-67 through Smalltalk, C++, and Java, noting what each language added or changed.

10. Explain the difference between instance methods and class methods in Smalltalk/Java.

11. Compare C++ templates and Ada generic packages as mechanisms for building strongly typed containers, including why C++ templates are considered more cumbersome.

12. Explain Java’s auto-boxing/unboxing and why it is needed when using generic containers with primitive types.

Functional Encapsulation¶

13. Explain how closures and local function definitions achieve encapsulation in functional languages like Clojure.