Large scale object-oriented finite element code design Original Research Article

This paper discusses the aspects of object-oriented finite element design which become relevant as the project size increases. A simple core library is described which aids program development by isolating repetitive tasks into optimized classes. This library addresses particularly the mathematical entities which appear in mechanics. Several object-oriented class idioms are given as well, with implementation syntax in C+ +. The classes address the reduction of interdependence in the code project, and facility expandability in the long term. Application of these abstract programming techniques are given within the context of a complete, working FEM code design which employs the object techniques thoroughly on every level of the computation. Furthermore, suggestions are given on how to reformulate problems in an object-oriented fashion in order to plan on expandability. Results for CPU performance are given with respect to a Fortran code.