Object-oriented, a buzzword of the late 1980s, has evolved into an accepted technology that has recognized benefits for the software development process. In its progression from a purely procedural approach, software development reached a data-driven--object-based--approach, and has grown beyond that to the object-oriented approach.
The impact of the object-oriented approach is not limited to the design portion of the software development life cycle--its effects are evident at every phase. One of the strengths of the object model is that it provides a unifying element that is common to every phase of the life cycle. This uniformity provides a smooth transition from one phase to the next.