This volume investigates the state of object-oriented programming, systems, languages, and applications as presented at the 1998 OOPSLA conference. The text compiles peer-reviewed research and technical reports from industry experts and academic researchers who gathered to discuss the evolution of software development paradigms. It serves as a historical record of the methodologies and theoretical frameworks that defined the object-oriented landscape at the end of the twentieth century.

Experts and researchers view this volume as a foundational archival record of late-nineties software engineering practices. Readers frequently note the high technical density of the prose, which is intended for professional developers and computer science academics.