OO Technology: What's it about? - Course Outline

The Object Technology Company

Object-Oriented Technology
What's it all about?

Duration: 1 day

Class size: Up to 20 attendees.

Prerequisites: Exposure to the software development process.

Who should take this course?
Senior management, middle managers and strategic marketing personnel.

What will you gain?

An understanding of the differences between the traditional software development process and the object-oriented software development process.
An awareness of the technical terminology and jargon associated with object-oriented technology.
An appreciation for the rewards and risks of moving to this technology.
An ability to ask the right questions in evaluating whether, when, and how to adapt object-technology in a manner that best fits your needs.
An analytical look at the experiences of other companies which use object-oriented technology.

Course contents and activities:

Object, Shmobject - Why should I care?
What is the problem? Past approaches
Perspectives on a solution
Differences between OO approach and traditional approach. Pros and cons.
The Object Paradigm
Fundamental concepts of object technology. Illustrative examples.
OO Languages, Methodologies, Tools and Environments
What's available, what's good, what's not.
Databases and Objects
Relationship, usage, and transition.
Moving to Object Technology
Issues of people, projects and legacy systems.
Wisdom from the trenches
Companies that have moved. Good and bad experiences. How would they do it differently?
Straight answers to common questions
Answers to a variety of frequently asked questions and concerns about object technology.
Sources of further information and references
Books, journals, conferences and web sites.

The course provides an introduction to object-oriented technology, explains its terminology and key concepts, and examines the opportunities and pitfalls in adapting it. It examines the experiences of various organizations that have already made the transition to object-technology and discusses the technical, organizational and sociological features of the transition. The course is conducted in a seminar format, combining lectures with discussions. The class discussions draw on the attendees' own experiences in the software development process to enhance their understanding of the impact of object-technology.