Chapter 1. Metaprogramming concepts

The basic principles of object-oriented programming (OOP) are understood by most software developers these days. For example, you probably understand how encapsulation and implementation-hiding can increase the cohesion of classes. Languages like C# and Visual Basic are excellent for creating so-called coarsely grained types because they expose simple features for grouping and hiding both code and data. You can use cohesive types to raise the abstraction level across a system, which allows for loose coupling to occur. Systems that enjoy loose coupling at the top level are much easier to maintain because each subsystem isn’t as dependent on the others as they could be in a poor design. Those benefits are realized at the lower levels, too, typically through lowered complexity and greater reusability of classes. In figure 1.1, which of the two systems depicted would likely be easier to modify?

1.1. Definitions of metaprogramming

1.2. Examples of metaprogramming

1.3. Summary