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Abstract Data Types

A data type is …
  • a set of values   (atomic or structured values)     e.g. integer stacks
  • a collection of operations on those values   e.g. push, pop, isEmpty?
An abstract data type …
  • is a logical description of how we view the data and operations
  • without regard to how they will be implemented
  • creates an encapsulation around the data
  • is a form of information hiding

[Diagram:Pic/ADT.png]