Impact of object oriented development on software quality

Abstract

Improved productivity and quality are often cited as potential benefits of an object-oriented (OO) development approach. The claims for improved software quality mainly refer to improved reliability, maintainability and reusability. However, there is very little experimental support for such claims. This research addresses this shortcoming by examining whether there is a significant difference in the reliability, maintainability and reusability of systems developed using OO development techniques compared with similar systems developed in the same organisation using conventional techniques. The results indicate a significant improvement in the reliability, maintainability and reusability for OO systems development compared with conventional development techniques. These results are a strong argument for management to seriously consider adopting an OO development process.