The Open-Closed Principle
Software clearly needs to be extensible. However, making changes to software runs the risk of introducing problems. This dilemma led Bertrand Meyer to propose the open-closed principle.[1] To paraphrase this principle, the modules, methods, and classes should be open for extension, while closed for modification.[2] In other words, we must design our software so that we can extend the capabilities of our software without changing it.
[1] Meyer, B., Object-Oriented Software Construction, Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1997, p. 57.
[2] See this book's Web site for a link to “The Open-Closed Principle,” an excellent article by Robert C. Martin. Go to http://www.netobjectives.com/dpexplained.
As contradictory as this ...
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