Head First Object-Oriented Analysis and Design: A Practical and Comprehensive Approach to OOA&D (PDF)
Head First Object-Oriented Analysis and Design: A Book Review
If you are a software developer who wants to learn how to write great software using object-oriented analysis and design (OOA&D), then you might be interested in reading Head First Object-Oriented Analysis and Design, a book by Brett D. McLaughlin, Gary Pollice, and Dave West. In this article, I will give you a brief introduction to the book, explain how you can get it for free (or why you should buy it instead), and tell you what you will learn from it.
head first object-oriented analysis and design pdf free download
What is object-oriented analysis and design?
Object-oriented analysis and design (OOA&D) is a methodology for developing software that focuses on modeling your software as a collection of objects that interact with each other. Objects are entities that have attributes (data) and behaviors (methods) that define their state and functionality. For example, a dog object might have attributes such as name, breed, color, etc. and behaviors such as bark, wag tail, fetch, etc.
OOA&D helps you write software that is easy to reuse, maintain, and extend by following some principles such as:
Encapsulation: hiding the internal details of an object from other objects
Inheritance: reusing code from existing objects by creating new objects that inherit their attributes and behaviors
Polymorphism: allowing different objects to respond differently to the same message
Abstraction: simplifying complex concepts by creating general classes that represent them
OOA&D also helps you write software that meets the needs and expectations of your customers by following a three-step process:
Analysis: understanding the problem domain and the requirements of your software
Design: creating a blueprint of your software that defines the classes, relationships, and interactions of your objects
Implementation: writing the code that implements your design using a programming language
What is the Head First approach?
The Head First approach is a unique style of teaching and learning that uses a combination of visuals, stories, humor, and exercises to make complex topics easy and fun to understand. The Head First series is a collection of books that cover various topics in computer science, programming, web development, etc. using this approach.
The Head First approach is based on some principles of how the brain works, such as:
The brain is not a computer: it does not store and process information in a linear and logical way, but rather in a holistic and associative way
The brain craves novelty: it pays more attention to things that are new, surprising, or different than things that are boring, predictable, or familiar
The brain learns by doing: it remembers things better when they are reinforced by multiple senses, emotions, and actions
The brain is social: it learns better when it interacts with other people and shares its ideas and opinions
The Head First approach uses these principles to create books that are designed to:
Engage your brain: by using pictures, stories, humor, puzzles, games, etc. to stimulate your curiosity and interest
Activate your senses: by using different fonts, colors, layouts, etc. to appeal to your visual and spatial memory
Involve your emotions: by using jokes, anecdotes, metaphors, etc. to make you laugh, smile, or relate to the content
Challenge your mind: by using questions, exercises, quizzes, etc. to test your understanding and application of the content
Encourage your participation: by using activities, projects, discussions, etc. to make you interact with the content and other learners
Who are the authors and what are their credentials?
The authors of Head First Object-Oriented Analysis and Design are Brett D. McLaughlin, Gary Pollice, and Dave West. They are all experienced software developers and educators who have worked on various projects using OOA&D.
Brett D. McLaughlin is a senior software engineer at Google who has written several books on Java, XML, web services, etc. He has also taught courses on OOA&D at Stanford University and De Anza College.
Gary Pollice is a professor of practice in computer science at Worcester Polytechnic Institute who has written several books on software engineering, agile development, design patterns, etc. He has also worked as a software engineer and consultant for IBM, Rational Software, etc.
Dave West is a product owner at scrum.org who has written several books on software development, agile methods, UML, etc. He has also worked as a software engineer and manager for Motorola, IBM Research Labs, etc.
How to get the book for free?
If you are looking for a way to get Head First Object-Oriented Analysis and Design for free as a PDF file, you might be tempted to search for websites that offer free downloads of books. However, before you do that, you should be aware of some legal and ethical issues that might arise from downloading books for free.
Why you should buy the book instead of downloading it for free?
Downloading books for free without the permission of the authors or publishers is considered piracy and can have serious consequences for both you and the authors. Here are some reasons why you should buy the book instead of downloading it for free:
You respect the authors' rights and efforts: writing a book takes a lot of time, research, creativity, and money. The authors deserve to be compensated for their work and to have control over how their work is distributed.
You support the publishing industry: publishing a book involves many people and processes such as editing, proofreading, designing, printing, marketing, etc. The publishers need to cover their costs and make a profit to continue producing quality books.
Where to buy the book online?
If you want to buy Head First Object-Oriented Analysis and Design, you have many options to choose from. You can buy it from online stores that sell books, such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, O'Reilly Media, etc. You can also buy it from online platforms that sell digital books, such as Kindle, Google Play Books, Apple Books, etc. Here are some links to some of these websites:
Website
Price
Format
Amazon
$49.54 (paperback) or $38.49 (Kindle)
Paperback or Kindle
Barnes & Noble
$49.54 (paperback) or $38.49 (Nook)
Paperback or Nook
O'Reilly Media
$49.99 (paperback) or $38.49 (ebook)
Paperback or ebook
Google Play Books
$38.49 (ebook)
Ebook
Apple Books
$38.99 (ebook)
Ebook
How to get a free trial or sample of the book?
If you are not sure whether you want to buy the book or not, you can try to get a free trial or sample of the book before you make a decision. Some websites offer free trials or samples of books that allow you to read a portion of the book for a limited time or download a few pages of the book as a PDF file. Here are some links to some of these websites:
O'Reilly Media: You can get a 10-day free trial of the O'Reilly learning platform that gives you unlimited access to the book and other resources.
Amazon: You can get a free sample of the Kindle edition of the book that lets you read the first chapter of the book.
Google Play Books: You can get a free sample of the ebook edition of the book that lets you read a few pages of the book.
Apple Books: You can get a free sample of the ebook edition of the book that lets you read a few pages of the book.
GitHub: You can download a PDF file of the book that was uploaded by a user on GitHub. However, this is not an official source and may not be legal or ethical.
What will you learn from the book?
Now that you know how to get the book, you might be wondering what you will learn from it. Head First Object-Oriented Analysis and Design is a comprehensive and practical guide that teaches you how to analyze, design, and write great software using OOA&D. The book covers the following topics and concepts:
How to analyze, design, and write great software using OOA&D?
The book shows you how to apply the three steps of OOA&D to various examples and scenarios that illustrate real-world problems and solutions. You will learn how to:
Gather requirements: by interviewing your customers, creating a requirements list, and writing use cases that describe what your software should do
Create a design: by identifying the classes, attributes, and methods of your objects, drawing diagrams that show the relationships and interactions of your objects, and applying design principles and patterns to improve your design
Implement your design: by choosing a programming language, writing the code that implements your design, and testing and debugging your code using unit testing and refactoring
How to use use cases, scenarios, and diagrams to model your software?
The book teaches you how to use various tools and techniques to model your software in a clear and concise way. You will learn how to:
Use cases: write use cases that describe the main features and functions of your software from the perspective of the users, including the normal path, alternate paths, and optional paths of each use case
Scenarios: write scenarios that describe specific instances or examples of how your software works in different situations or contexts
Diagrams: draw diagrams that visualize the structure and behavior of your software using standard notation such as UML (Unified Modeling Language), including class diagrams, sequence diagrams, state diagrams, etc.
How to apply design principles and patterns to improve your software quality?
The book explains how to apply various design principles and patterns that help you write software that is reusable, maintainable, and extensible. You will learn how to:
Design principles: follow design principles such as cohesion, coupling, encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, abstraction, etc. that help you write well-structured and well-organized code
Design patterns: use design patterns such as singleton, factory, observer, strategy, decorator, etc. that help you solve common problems and avoid pitfalls in your design
How to test and debug your software using unit testing and refactoring?
The book shows you how to test and debug your software using tools such as JUnit and Eclipse. You will learn how to:
Unit testing: write unit tests that verify the functionality of each method or class in your code using assertions and test cases
Refactoring: improve your code by making small changes that improve its readability, performance, or quality without changing its functionality
Conclusion
In conclusion, Head First Object-Oriented Analysis and Design is a book that teaches you how to write great software using OOA&D. The book is written in a fun and engaging style that makes learning easy and enjoyable. The book covers the main topics and concepts of OOA&D such as use cases, scenarios, diagrams, design principles, design patterns, unit testing, refactoring, etc. The book also provides many examples and exercises that help you practice what you learn.
If you are interested in learning OOA&D or improving your skills in software development, I highly recommend this book. You can buy it online from various websites or get a free trial or sample of it before you decide. I hope you found this article helpful and informative. Thank you for reading!
FAQs
What is the difference between object-oriented analysis and object-oriented design?
Object-oriented analysis (OOA) is the process of understanding the problem domain and the requirements of your software. Object-oriented design (OOD) is the process of creating a blueprint of your software that defines the classes, relationships, and interactions of your objects.
What are some benefits of using OOA&D?
Some benefits of using OOA&D are:
polymorphism, and abstraction
You can write software that meets the needs and expectations of your customers by following a three-step process of analysis, design, and implementation
You can write software that is clear and concise by using tools and techniques such as use cases, scenarios, and diagrams to model your software
You can write software that is high-quality by applying design principles and patterns to improve your design and using unit testing and refactoring to test and debug your code
What are some challenges or drawbacks of using OOA&D?
Some challenges or drawbacks of using OOA&D are:
You may need to spend more time and effort in the analysis and design phases before you start coding
You may need to learn new skills and tools such as UML, JUnit, Eclipse, etc. to use OOA&D effectively
You may need to adapt to changing requirements or technologies that may affect your analysis or design
You may need to collaborate and communicate with other developers or stakeholders who may have different opinions or preferences about your analysis or design
What are some other books or resources that can help me learn more about OOA&D?
Some other books or resources that can help you learn more about OOA&D are:
Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software by Erich Gamma, Richard Helm, Ralph Johnson, and John Vlissides: This book introduces the concept of design patterns and describes 23 classic design patterns that can help you improve your software design.
Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code by Martin Fowler: This book explains the concept of refactoring and provides a catalog of refactoring techniques that can help you improve your code quality.
UML Distilled: A Brief Guide to the Standard Object Modeling Language by Martin Fowler: This book provides a concise and practical introduction to UML, the standard notation for modeling software using diagrams.
Object Oriented Analysis and Design Using UML by Eduonix Learning Solutions: This is an online course that teaches you how to use UML to analyze and design software using OOA&D.
How can I contact the authors of Head First Object-Oriented Analysis and Design?
If you have any questions, comments, or feedback for the authors of Head First Object-Oriented Analysis and Design, you can contact them through their websites or social media accounts:
Brett D. McLaughlin: Website, Twitter, LinkedIn
Gary Pollice: Website, Twitter, LinkedIn
Dave West: Website, Twitter, LinkedIn
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