Object Technology: A Manager's Guide [Paperback]

David A. Taylor (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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 book 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.

From the Inside Flap

Object-oriented technology is arguably the most exciting and least understood development in software today. Given the amount of hype coming from both media and manufacturers, it's hard for corporate managers to assess its true potential.

This problem is of great concern to us at Servio. We see object-oriented technology as an important step toward the industrialization of software, in which programming is transformed from an arcane craft to a systematic manufacturing process. But this transformation can't take place unless senior managers understand and support it.

What the industry needs right now is a straightforward explanation of object-oriented technology at the management level, with a candid assessment of its real costs and benefits. As one of the leading innovators in object-oriented technology, Servio is in a unique position to provide that explanation. We have devoted the resources to carry out this task as a service to the industry as a whole, not to promote our own products. We believe that everyone will be better served by a clearer understanding of the transition we are about to make.

What you have in your hand, then, is our contribution to executive education - a no-nonsense explanation of the concepts and issues involved in object-oriented technology. We hope that David's clear, readable discussion will counter some of the hype surrounding this new technology and help you make more informed decisions about adopting the technology within your own company.

Servio Corporation 1420 Harbor Bay Parkway --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; 2nd edition (September 21, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201309947
• ISBN-13: 978-0201309942
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #818,198 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent introduction to the concepts of OO, October 1, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Object Technology: A Manager's Guide (Paperback)

I found this book to be very helpful in understanding the concepts of object oriented programming. As I work in an industry that is related to technology, but not directly involved on a personal level with it (IT recruiting), I had an understanding of systems and languages, but nothing in depth. I have never been able to have someone explain the basics so clearly as Dr. Taylor does. I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about OO, so long as they have a basic understanding of how computer systems and languages work and interact. He explains the concepts in an intelligent way that most non-technical people cannot, yet speaks in clear enough terms for laypeople that programmers often have difficulty with.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best concise introduction to object-oriented technology, November 3, 2003

By	Erik Gfesser (Lombard, IL United States) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Object-Oriented Technology: A Manager's Guide (Paperback)

Note that, although the subtitle for this text implies Taylor's audience is solely managers, this book is suitable for anyone looking for a concise introduction to object-oriented software technology. Simply ignore some of the negative comments in other reviews regarding this book's viability in relation to early 21st-century software development - like almost every text written for an information technology audience, parts of this book, especially some of the predictions Taylor makes in the last chapters (at least in the first edition of the text), have been outmoded by lessons learned or shifts of focus in the past decade. Simply purchase the latest edition of texts such as this, especially if you are new to the topic - just remember that the new edition will undoubtedly be outmoded again in the future, but by that time you will probably have a handle on the topic and not need to refer back (at least very often) to an introductory text. What I like best about this text are the following: its conciseness (less than 150 pages) and compactness, its readability (very simple language - it is not written to impress by use of an extensive vocabulary), and its diagrams. As an individual who enjoys proper use of effective visual communication when technical topics are addressed, the simple diagrams are excellent - his use of the living cell as a model in understanding object basics like data and methods is ingenious, in my opinion. No code in this text, you say? If one is looking for an introductory OO text, why would he/she need code? Use of code would not only defeat the purpose of this text, but outmode it as soon as the next language of the day/week/month/year comes into fashion.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, easy-learning introduction to Object Technology., August 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Object Technology: A Manager's Guide (Paperback)

This book gives a great introduction to object technology. It puts the technology in easy to understand terms and applies real-world business problems to objects.

However, it does oversimplify how object technology is implemented and the real-world actual and realistic value that object technology may afford an organization.