8OCP: THE OPEN-CLOSED PRINCIPLE
The Open-Closed Principle (OCP) was coined in 1988 by Bertrand Meyer.1 It says:
A software artifact should be open for extension but closed for modification.
In other words, the behavior of a software artifact ought to be extendible, without having to modify that artifact.
This, of course, is the most fundamental reason that we study software architecture. Clearly, if simple extensions to the requirements force massive changes to the software, then the architects of that software system have engaged in a spectacular failure.
Most students of software design recognize the OCP as a principle that guides them in the ...
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