What is Abstract Data Types

This chapter shows, through the example of the addition of a plate and shell element to freeware FEM-object, an object-oriented (C++) finite element program, how object-oriented approaches, as opposed to procedural approaches, make finite element codes more compact, more modular, and versatile but mainly more easily expandable, in order to improve the continuity and the compatibility between software of research and industrial software. The fundamental traits of object-oriented programming are first briefly reviewed, and it is shown how such an approach simplifies the coding process. Then, the isotropic shell and orthotropic plate formulations used are given and the discretized equations developed. Finally, the necessary additions to the FEM-object code are reviewed. Numerical examples using the newly created plate membrane plate element are shown.