IT-304 Object Oriented Programming and Methodology - Dec 2024 Question Paper

Under each question, How to answer lists the points an answer should cover, outlined by CampusPrep from the syllabus. Check the details against your textbook.

1. 7 Marks
   aWhat are the unique advantages of an object-oriented programming paradigm?
   How to answer

   • Definition of OOP paradigm
   • Key advantages: modularity, code reusability through inheritance, data security/encapsulation
   • Ease of maintenance and scalability
   • Real-world modeling capability
2. 7 Marks
   bExplain about call by reference and return by reference with program.
   How to answer

   • Explanation and syntax of call by reference (& operator)
   • Example code for call by reference (e.g., swap function)
   • Explanation and syntax of return by reference
   • Example code showing function call on LHS of assignment
   • Precautions (not returning reference to local variable)
3. 7 Marks
   aWrite a program to explain the concept of array of objects.
   How to answer

   • Concept and syntax of array of objects: ClassName obj[size];
   • C++ program defining a class (e.g., Student or Employee)
   • Instantiation of array of objects
   • Loops to take input and display details for each element
4. 7 Marks
   bIn C++, a variable can be declared anywhere in the scope. What is the significance of this feature?
   How to answer

   • Difference from traditional C (C89 requiring declarations at top of block)
   • Declaration close to first use improves readability and maintainability
   • Scope reduction and optimal resource utilization/lifetime management
   • Initialization at definition point avoids uninitialized states
5. 7 Marks
   aHow does a C++ structure differ from a C++ Class?
   How to answer

   • Default access specifier for members: public in struct vs private in class
   • Default access specifier for inheritance: public in struct vs private in class
   • Syntactic similarities: both can have member functions, constructors, destructors
   • Tabular comparison summary
6. 7 Marks
   bWhat is Constructor? Write a program to explain copy constructor and its use.
   How to answer

   • Definition of constructor and its characteristics
   • Definition and syntax of copy constructor: ClassName(const ClassName &obj)
   • Situations when copy constructor is invoked (initialization, pass-by-value, return-by-value)
   • Complete C++ program showing explicit copy constructor
7. 14 Marks
   Describe the mechanism of accessing data members and member functions in the following cases: a) Inside the main program b) Inside a member function of the same class c) Inside a member function of another class
   How to answer

   • Case a: Accessing public members via object dot operator (obj.member) or pointer arrow operator (ptr->member); private members inaccessible
   • Case b: Direct access by name inside member functions of same class (or implicitly through this pointer)
   • Case c: In another class: dependent on relationship; requires object dot notation for public members, or friend declaration / inheritance for protected/private access
   • Code snippets illustrating each scenario
8. 7 Marks
   aExplain Access Specifiers with respect to inheritance.
   How to answer

   • Role of access specifiers (public, protected, private) in base classes
   • Visibility modes of inheritance: public, protected, private derivation
   • Visibility table showing how base members are inherited under each mode
   • Accessibility rules for derived class members and derived class objects
9. 7 Marks
   bWrite a C++ program for calculating the area of rectangle and circle using run time polymorphism.
   How to answer

   • Base class Shape with a virtual function (e.g., virtual void calculate_area())
   • Derived classes Rectangle and Circle overriding calculate_area()
   • Use of base class pointers pointing to derived class objects
   • Demonstration of runtime dispatch through base pointer in main()
10. 7 Marks
    aIn what order are the class constructors called when a derived class object is created?
    How to answer

    • General rule: Base class constructors are called before derived class constructors
    • Order in multiple inheritance: order of derivation list in class header
    • Order with virtual base classes: virtual base classes initialized first
    • Order of member object constructors before derived class body
    • Contrast with destructor execution order (reverse order)
11. 7 Marks
    bExplain function overloading with example.
    How to answer

    • Definition of function overloading (multiple functions same name, different signatures)
    • Rules: differentiated by number, types, or sequence of arguments (not return type alone)
    • Illustrative C++ code example (e.g., add(int, int) and add(double, double))
    • How compiler resolves calls at compile time
12. 7 Marks
    aHow is Polymorphism achieved at? i) Compile time ii) Run time
    How to answer

    • Definition of polymorphism
    • Compile-time polymorphism: static binding via function overloading and operator overloading
    • Run-time polymorphism: dynamic binding via virtual functions and inheritance
    • Role of vptr and vtable in runtime polymorphism
13. 7 Marks
    bExplain, with an example, how you would create space for an array of objects using pointers.
    How to answer

    • Dynamic memory allocation using new operator: ClassName *ptr = new ClassName[size];
    • Accessing member functions using pointer arithmetic or array indexing: ptr[i].method()
    • Memory deallocation using delete[] operator
    • C++ code example demonstrating allocation, usage, and deallocation
14. 7 Marks
    aWhat are Exceptions? What are the differences between synchronous and asynchronous exceptions?
    How to answer

    • Definition of an exception (abnormal runtime condition/event)
    • Synchronous exceptions: caused by program instructions (e.g., division by zero, out-of-range array access)
    • Asynchronous exceptions: caused by events beyond program control (e.g., hardware faults, keyboard interrupts, disk read error)
    • Key differences table
15. 7 Marks
    bExplain overloaded function templates with suitable example program.
    How to answer

    • Concept of template overloading (multiple template definitions or mixing template with standard function)
    • Template resolution rules (exact non-template match preferred over template)
    • Complete C++ program example showing overloaded templates
    • Explanation of output showing which version is called