computer science

Open implementation

Open implementation is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Open implementation rather than just read about it. In short: In computing, open implementation platforms are systems where the implementation is accessible. Open implementation allows developers of a program to alter pieces of the underlying software to fit their specific needs.

Key takeaways

Open implementation belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Open implementation to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Open implementation from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In computing, open implementation platforms are systems where the implementation is accessible. Open implementation allows developers of a program to alter pieces of the underlying software to fit their specific needs. With this technique, it is far easier to write general tools, though it makes the programs themselves more complex to design and use. There are also open language implementations, which make aspects of the language implementation accessible to application programmers. Open implementation is not to be confused with open source, which allows users to change implementation source code, rather than using existing application programming interfaces.

See also Aspect-oriented programming as a successor concept in research Metaobject protocol for the primary implementation means Software architecture for organization of software in general

External links Links pertaining to open implementation

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Open implementation

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Open implementation claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Open implementation before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Open implementation ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Open implementation

In research: Open implementation appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Open implementation in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Open implementation is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computing stubs, Free software culture and documents, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Open implementation outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Open implementation in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Open implementation means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Open implementation out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Open implementation in simple terms?

Why does Open implementation matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Open implementation?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Open implementation.