Regressing Object-Oriented Principles to Achieve Performance Gains on the Java Platform, Micro Edition

Abstract

Object-Oriented Programming is a software design method that models the characteristics of abstract or real objects using classes and objects [Sun Microsystems 2006b]. The Java language is intrinsically object-oriented; in fact Sun Microsystems’ definition of Java contains the phrase “object-oriented” [2006]. It would then be assumed that the Java Platform, Micro Edition would be optimized such that correctlyimplemented OO code will run, unmodified, faster than incorrectly-implemented code. This is not the case. Code exhibiting “good” OO design actually runs slower than equivalent code written in a functional fashion. In short, a Java ME MIDlet which adheres to accepted standards of “good” object-oriented design can have its execution speed increased by regressing its design.