Data-Oriented Programming in Java: A Fresh Perspective on Structuring Code

Exploring the Shift from OOP to DOP

Data-Oriented Programming (DOP) first came to attention during a performance-critical project. The system, built using Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), was elegantly designed with well-defined abstractions and encapsulation. However, when tasked with processing millions of records in real time, its inefficiencies became apparent.

This challenge highlighted the limitations of OOP in certain scenarios and opened the door to DOP — a paradigm that offered a fundamentally different approach to structuring programs. While OOP excels in many contexts, DOP introduces a fresh perspective, encouraging a reexamination of how data is managed and prioritized in software design.

In this article, I’ll walk you through the differences between OOP and DOP, share examples of implementing both paradigms in Java, and discuss where DOP truly shines.

What is Data-Oriented Programming?

DOP focuses on structuring programs around data rather than behavior. Unlike OOP, where objects encapsulate both state and behavior, DOP treats data as first-class citizens, often decoupling it from the methods operating on it. This approach emphasizes: