Practical Experiences of Object Technology

Object-oriented software development has made remarkable progress in recent years from the research laboratory to the commercial mainstream. Business users now need to assess the wealth of practical experience available in assessing the key issues, problems and potential for successful commercial applications. Some of this experience is presented here, with contributions from organizations such as BT, Swiss Bank, IBM and J.P. Morgan, and drawing on applications in businesses as diverse as clinical care, aircraft maintenance and financial systems. The topics covered include assessing and costing the impact of object technology on existing IT investment (the "legacy" problem); the migration of legacy systems to object technology; analysis and design issues; verification and validation; and training. A number of contributions also look at training issues within higher education and the significance they have for industry.
 
Object-oriented software development has made remarkable progress in recent years from the research laboratory to the commercial mainstream. Business users now need to assess the wealth of practical experience available in assessing the key issues, problems and potential for successful commercial applications. Some of this experience is presented here, with contributions from organizations such as BT, Swiss Bank, IBM and J.P. Morgan, and drawing on applications in businesses as diverse as clinical care, aircraft maintenance and financial systems. The topics covered include assessing and costing the impact of object technology on existing IT investment (the "legacy" problem); the migration of legacy systems to object technology; analysis and design issues; verification and validation; and training. A number of contributions also look at training issues within higher education and the significance they have for industry.