Students are often exposed to object- oriented techniques through simple examples. However, it is only in complex systems that the advantages of object-oriented techniques become clear. In this book, we have taken advantage of the orderly presentation of file structure tools to build a complex software system as a sequence of relatively simple design and implementation steps. Through this approach, students get specific examples of the advantages of object-oriented methods and are able to improve their own programming skills. We cover the principles of design and implementation in a progressive fashion.
Simple concepts come first and form the foundation for more complex concepts.
Simple classes are designed and implemented in the early chapters, then are used extensively for the implementation topics of the later chapters. The most complex file structure tools have simple implementations because they extend the solid foundation of the early chapters. Next comes the use of stream classes for input and output. Further examples introduce inheritance, then virtual functions, and finally templates. Each new feature is introduced and explained in the context of a useful file structure application.