Chapter 8. Class Design

The design of effective abstract data types is as much art as science. The production of good interfaces involves equal parts technical knowledge, social psychology, and experience. Yet nothing is more important than clear, intuitive interfaces in assuring that code will be readily understood and correctly maintained.

In this chapter, we'll examine a number of common mistakes in the design of class interfaces and offer suggestions on how to circumvent them. We'll also examine several implementation issues that affect class interfaces.