Object-oriented concepts have become important in helping to formulate next-generation database systems. The STRUCTURAL part of object-oriented database models has been formalized and is well understood. On the other hand. for the BEHAVIOURAL part of such models -- the dynamics of object bases -- there seems to be only a few approaches to a serious foundation. Nevertheless. this aspect of object-oriented systems is critical for defining the semantics of object-oriented database systems and their applications.

The behavioural part of an object base includes the concepts of database updates, transactions. and temporal integrity. as well as schema evolution. object migration. query processing, and active rule processing. This workshop brought together researchers working on foundations of programming languages. object-oriented systems. and databases to address the research directions for the formal aspects of object base dynamics. The international group, with representatives from Austria. Germany. Portugal. Estonia. Sweden, The Netherlands, Switzerland. Belgium. Italy. Israel. Canada. and the USA. met for five days in the peaceful setting of the Dagstuhl Castle to present current research projects on the dynamic aspects of object-oriented databases and to discuss research issues that need to be addressed.

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