Open Closed Principle
The Open Closed Principle (OCP) is a fundamental concept in object-oriented programming and software design, stating that software entities (such as classes, modules, and functions) should be open for extension but closed for modification. This means you can add new functionality without altering existing code, typically achieved through abstraction, inheritance, or composition. It is one of the five SOLID principles aimed at creating maintainable and scalable software systems.
Developers should learn and apply the Open Closed Principle to reduce the risk of introducing bugs when adding features, as it minimizes changes to stable, tested code. It is particularly useful in large-scale applications, frameworks, and libraries where frequent updates or extensions are expected, such as in plugin architectures or when building extensible APIs. By adhering to OCP, teams can improve code reusability, flexibility, and long-term maintainability.