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S.O.L.I.D. Principles of Object-Oriented Programming in C#

Explore the SOLID principles of object-oriented programming in C# to learn how to design software that is easy to maintain, extend, and scale. This lesson breaks down each principle with examples to help you build modular and flexible code aligned with modern development standards.

The SOLID principles are a set of golden rules that aim to improve the design and maintainability of software. These principles were first introduced in the early 2000s and have since become widely accepted as best practices for developers working with object-oriented programming languages. SOLID principles are particularly relevant for agile development, as they help create flexible, scalable, and easy to modify code.

Employers often look for candidates who have a strong understanding of the SOLID principles, as they can help to reduce costs and improve the long-term sustainability of software projects.

There are several advantages to following the SOLID principles when designing and building software, including:

  • Improved maintainability: You can create code that is easier to maintain and modify over time because the SOLID principles encourage the creation of modular, flexible code that is less prone to errors and more resistant to changes in requirements.

  • Reduced complexity: The SOLID principles help to reduce the complexity of software by promoting the use of abstraction and encapsulation, which can make it easier to understand and work with the code.

  • Enhanced flexibility: These principles encourage the creation of flexible code that is open to extension but closed to modification, which encourages flexibility without breaking existing functionality.

  • Increased scalability: The SOLID principles can help to make software more scalable, as they encourage the use of abstractions and decoupled dependencies, which can help to prevent the codebase from becoming overly complex and difficult to manage.

This article will explore each of the five SOLID principles in-depth, providing code examples and illustrations to help you better understand how they work.

What are SOLID principles?

SOLID is a mnemonic device for 5 design principles of object-oriented programs (OOP) that result in readable, adaptable, and scalable code. SOLID can be applied to any OOP program.

The 5 principles of SOLID are:

  • Single-responsibility principle

  • Open-closed principle

  • Liskov substitution principle

  • Interface segregation principle

  • Dependency inversion principle

SOLID principles were developed by computer science instructor and author Robert C. Martin (sometimes called “Uncle Bob”) in 2000 and quickly became a staple of modern object-oriented design (OOD). The SOLID acronym became commonplace when these principles gained widespread popularity in the programming world.

Now, SOLID has also been adopted in both agile development and adaptive software development.

The best way to understand SOLID is to break down each of the 5 principles and see how they look in code. So, let’s do just that!


S: Single-responsibility principle

SRP: Splitting a non-SRP class
SRP: Splitting a non-SRP class

“A class should only have a single responsibility, that is, only changes to one part of the software’s specification should be able to affect the specification of the class.” - Robert C. Martin

The  ...