A growing interest in the object-oriented programming paradigm prompted the editors to compile a wide-ranging introduction to the subject, beginning with basic concepts and then covering a variety of applications in databases and other areas. Most of the contributions, by leading figures in the field, were written specifically for this volume. Topics include object-oriented programming languages, application systems, operational object-oriented database systems,architectural issues, and directions in future research and development. ACM Press Frontier Series. 0201144107B04062001