ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Object Constraint Language

Imagine you have a bunch of toys in your toy box, like dolls, balls, and cars. You might have rules about how these toys can be played with – for example, you might say that dolls can only be played with indoors, balls can only be played with outside, and cars can only be played with on a flat surface.

Object Constraint Language (OCL) is like a set of rules for how different parts of a software program can work together. It helps programmers make sure that their code follows certain rules, just like you have rules for how your toys can be played with.

Like your toy box, a software program is made up of different pieces that all work together. OCL helps programmers describe the relationships between these different pieces, and it can be used to check whether different parts of a program are working together in the way they're supposed to.

For example, a programmer might use OCL to make sure that two different parts of a program are always in sync – like how you might make sure that your toy cars are always played with on a flat surface. Or they might use OCL to check that certain conditions are always true – like how you might make sure that dolls are only played with indoors.

Overall, OCL is like a set of rules that helps programmers make sure that their code works the way it's supposed to. By using OCL, programmers can catch mistakes early and make sure that their code is reliable and easy to work with.