Modular Programming Definition/Meaning:
A style of programming in which the complete program is
decomposed into a set of components, termed modules, each of which is of
manageable size, has a well-defined purpose, and has a well-defined interface to
the outside world. Since the only alternative -that of completely monolithic
programs -is untenable, the point is not whether programs should be modular but
rather what criteria should be employed for their decomposition into modules.
This was raised by David Parnas, who proposed that one
major criterion should be that of information hiding. Prior to this,
decomposition had typically been performed on an ad-hoc basis, or sometimes on
the basis of "stages" of the overall processing to be carried out by the
program, and only minor benefits had been gained. More recently there has been
great emphasis on decomposition based on the use of abstract data types; such a
decomposition can remain consistent with the principles of information hiding.
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