Dr. Alan Kay on the Meaning of Object-Oriented Programming (2003)
Summary
This article compiles two emails from Alan Kay (July 2003) clarifying the original meaning of object-oriented programming. Kay argues that OOP centers on messaging between autonomous entities with local state retention and extreme late binding, and notes that it can be realized in languages like Smalltalk and Lisp; inheritance is not central to his definition. The piece presents a historical perspective on OOP that challenges common myths about inheritance and encapsulation.