Editing Method stub

{{about|placeholder method source code|other uses|Stub (disambiguation)}}
{{Short description|Short and simple version of a method}}

A '''method stub'''<ref name="DaleWeems2004">{{cite book|author1=Nell B. Dale|author2=Chip Weems|title=Programming in C++|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mxZBPSjSEYUC&pg=PA308|year=2004|publisher=Jones & Bartlett Learning|isbn=978-0-7637-3234-9|pages=308}}</ref> is a short and simple placeholder for a [[Method (computer programming)|method]] that is not yet written for production needs. Generally, a method stub contains just enough code to allow it to be used {{endash}} a declaration with any parameters, and if applicable, a return value.<ref>{{cite web
 | url         = http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/stub.html
 | title       = stub
 | date = 23 March 1998
 | publisher   = WEBOPEDIA
 | quote       = 
 | accessdate  = 2012-08-28
}}</ref> 

A method stub may be used to implement an [[interface (computer science)|interface]] that is defined but for which the implementation is not available. 

==Example==

In the following example [[pseudocode]], the function {{mono|ReadThermometer}} returns a particular value even though ultimately it is supposed to read a value from a [[Electronic hardware|hardware]] source. It returns a valid value, allowing consuming code to be runnable. The function ignores the input [[Parameter (computer science)|parameter]] {{mono|source}} which is common for a stub.

 '''function''' ReadThermometer(Source source)
     '''return''' 28
 '''end function'''

==Related==

===Distributed computing===

In [[distributed computing]], ''stub'' is like a [[mock object]] {{endash}} [[simulation|simulate]]s existing code, such as a [[Subroutine|procedure]] on a remote machine. Such stubs can be useful in [[porting]].

In [[Remote Method Invocation|RMI]] nomenclature, a stub on the client-side communicates with a [[Skeleton (computer science)|skeleton]] on the server-side.<ref>{{cite book
 | last1         = Freeman
 | first1        = Eric
 | authorlink1   = 
 | last2         = Freeman
 | first2        = Elisabeth 
 | authorlink2   = 
 | last3         = Kathy
 | first3        = Sierra
 | authorlink3   = 
 | last4         = Bert
 | first4        = Bates
 | authorlink4   = 
 | editor1-last   = Hendrickson
 | editor1-first  = Mike
 | editor2-last  = Loukides
 | editor2-first = Mike
 | year          = 2004
 | title         = Head First Design Patterns
 | volume        = 1
 | page          = 440
 | publisher     = O'REILLY
 | format        = paperback
 | isbn          = 978-0-596-00712-6
 | accessdate    = 2012-08-28
 | url           = http://shop.oreilly.com/product/9780596007126.do
}}</ref>

===Windows/DOS===

In [[Windows]] and [[DOS]], ''stub'' is like a [[Shim (computing)|shim]] {{endash}} small interface code left in [[conventional memory]] by [[self-relocation|self-relocating]] resident drivers which move most of themselves into [[upper memory]], the [[high memory area]], [[expanded memory|expanded]] or [[extended memory]] as well as similar stubs to allow the relocated code to communicate with [[real-mode]] DOS in conjunction with [[DOS extender]]s (like [[DOS Protected Mode Interface|DPMI]], [[DOS Protected Mode Services|DPMS]], [[CLOAKING (DOS extender)|CLOAKING]] or [[NetWare I/O Subsystem|NIOS]]).

==See also==

* [[Method (computer science)#Abstract methods|Abstract method]]
* [[Mock object]]
* [[Dummy code]]
* [[Test stub]]
* [[Glue code]]
* [[Shim (computing)]]
* [[DOS stub]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/research/pubs/articles/papers/94.pdf A Stub Generation System For C++] (PDF)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090711150137/http://www.sizovpoint.com/2009/03/java-mock-frameworks-comparison.html Stub/mock frameworks for Java] Review and comparison of stub & mock frameworks for Java

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