Object Technology: A Manager’s Guide(2nd edition)

The first edition set a standard of excellence that has eluded all followers, and I have recommended it to my clients for years. The new edition is a gift to the field and should be required reading for all managers. -- Adrian J. Bowles, Ph.D., Vice President, Giga Information Group. One of the most readable introductions you will find. The new edition offers vital insights into the effective use of objects in business.-- Chris Stone, President , Object Management Group. The first edition of Object Technology: A Manager's Guide is widely viewed as the classic introduction to this powerful computing concept. Object technology offers increased agility, significant time-to-market reduction,

and the opportunity to exploit the potential of the World Wide Web by deploying globally distributed business systems.At a time when many of the world's largest companies are making the transition to object technology, David Taylor has updated his ebook to address the important issues facing the growth of object technology and to provide a glimpse into the future of this evolving paradigm. In updating this seminal work, David Taylor has retained the signature conciseness and clarity of discussion that made the first edition a best-seller.

Object Technology: A Manager's Guide, Second Edition, covers the key terms, emerging concepts, and useful applications of objects. Managers, salespeople, engineers, software developers -- anyone interested in understanding or implementing object technology -- will find this a lucid introduction to the topic. Highlights of this new edition include: an explanation of how to use objects to create evolutionary software that rapidly adapts to changing business conditions, eliminating the need for most new application development; an introduction to Java, and an explanation of how its use of message interfaces enables a new generation of portable, mix-and-match, Internet-enabled business objects; an update on the state of object databases and extended relational databases, with guidelines for combining the two for optimal information storage; and an introduction to the new generation of object engines and how they combine storage and execution capabilities for maximum software integration.

1. Three Keys to Object Technology
Why Objects?
Objects and Encapsulation
Messages and Polymorphism
Classes and Inheritance
2. Objects: Natural Building Blocks
Nature's Building Blocks
The Anatomy of an Object
Constructing Composite Objects
Designing Multilevel Systems
3. Messages: Activating Objects
The Anatomy of a Message
Sending the Right Information
The Power of Polymorphism
4. Classes: Implementing Objects
The Anatomy of a Class
Defining Variables
Specialization Hierarchies
5. Objects as Software Components
A New Industrial Revolution
Making Software Components Work
Building the Right Components
6. Storing and Sharing Objects
The Problem of Persistence
A New Generation of Databases
The Battle of the Generations
7. Beyond Programs and Databases
Integrating Procedures and Data
The Evolution of Object Engines
The End of Applications
8. Objects for the Enterprise
Distributing Objects
From Objects to Agents
Designing for Scalability
9. The Adaptive Organization
Understanding Adaptive Systems
Increasing Organizational Adaptivity
Adaptivity Through Objects