In mechanical engineering the trend towards increasingly flexible solutions is leading to changes in control systems. The growth of mechatronic systems and modular functional units is placing high demands on software and its design. In the coming years, automation technology will experience the same transition that has already taken place in the PC world: a transition to more advanced and reproducible software design, simpler modification, and increasing modularity. This can only be achieved through object-oriented programming.

This book is aimed at those who want to familiarize...