OOPSLA
OOPSLA, an acronym for Object-Oriented Programming, Systems, Languages, and Applications, is an annual research conference sponsored by ACM SIGPLAN that serves as a premier forum for advancements in programming languages, software engineering, and related systems.[1] Established in 1986 in Portland, Oregon, by pioneers including Adele Goldberg, Tom Love, David Smith, and Allen Wirfs-Brock, it initially drew around 600 attendees and quickly became a hub for object-oriented innovations.[2] Over the decades, OOPSLA has grown to accommodate up to 2,500 participants at its peak, fostering breakthroughs such as design patterns, the Unified Modeling Language (UML), agile methodologies, the Java programming language, and test-driven development (TDD).[2] Its scope has broadened beyond object-oriented paradigms to encompass all facets of software development, including requirements analysis, modeling, design, implementation, verification, testing, evaluation, maintenance, reuse, and retirement of software systems, while welcoming contributions on novel tools, techniques, and empirical studies.[1] Since 2010, OOPSLA has been integrated into the larger SPLASH conference series—Systems, Programming, Languages, and Applications: Software for Humanity—managed by the SPLASH Steering Committee, which enhances interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers and practitioners.[1] Accepted papers are published in the Proceedings of the ACM on Programming Languages (PACMPL), ensuring high visibility and archival quality.[1] The conference underscores its legacy through awards like the annual Most Influential OOPSLA Paper Award, which recognizes the most influential paper presented 10 years prior.[3] Historically held primarily in North American venues such as Vancouver, San Diego, and Orlando, though recent SPLASH events have included international locations like Singapore in 2025, OOPSLA emphasizes in-person attendance for its three-day main program to promote direct interaction, while also supporting remote participation options.[2][4] Through its evolution, OOPSLA remains a cornerstone for shaping modern software practices and community-driven progress in computing.[5]History
Founding
In 1985, OOPSLA was founded by four pioneers in object-oriented programming—Adele Goldberg, Tom Love, David Smith, and Allen Wirfs-Brock—to establish a dedicated North American conference for discussing object-oriented programming systems, languages, and applications.[6] These founders, drawing from their experiences with early OOP environments like Smalltalk at Xerox PARC, recognized the need for a forum to share advancements amid the paradigm's rising prominence in academic and industrial circles.[2] The inaugural OOPSLA conference took place in November 1986 at the Marriott Hotel in Portland, Oregon, attracting approximately 600 attendees and featuring around 50 presented papers.[6] This event marked the first major North American gathering focused exclusively on OOP, providing a platform for researchers and practitioners to explore implementations and theoretical foundations.[2] From its inception, OOPSLA was sponsored by ACM SIGPLAN, ensuring alignment with the broader programming languages community and facilitating publication in ACM SIGPLAN Notices.[1] The conference's initial emphasis was on emerging OOP systems, languages such as Smalltalk, and practical applications, reflecting the era's growing interest in encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism as key programming concepts.[6]Evolution and integration with SPLASH
OOPSLA experienced significant growth in its early years. By the 2000s, attendance had peaked at around 2500 participants, reflecting the increasing adoption of object-oriented programming principles in industry and academia. In recent years, particularly by the 2020s, the conference has stabilized at about 1300 attendees, adapting to a more mature field while maintaining its relevance through expanded scope.[2] Toward the late 1990s, as object-oriented programming became mainstream—driven by successes in languages like Smalltalk, Java, and C++—OOPSLA shifted its focus from pioneering the paradigm to addressing broader software engineering challenges. This evolution incorporated discussions on practical applications, including design patterns as popularized in seminal works presented at the conference and emerging agile methodologies that emphasized iterative development and flexibility in object-oriented contexts. The conference thus transitioned into a key venue for exploring effective real-world implementation of these concepts, moving beyond theoretical exploration to pragmatic problem-solving in software design and development.[2] In 2010, OOPSLA merged into the newly formed SPLASH (Systems, Programming, Languages, and Applications: Software for Humanity) conference, an umbrella event sponsored by ACM SIGPLAN that combined OOPSLA with other related tracks such as Onward! and GPCE to foster interdisciplinary dialogue. This integration transformed OOPSLA into a primary research track within SPLASH's multi-track format, enabling broader participation and cross-pollination of ideas across programming languages, systems, and applications while preserving its core emphasis on object-oriented innovations.[6] During the 2020s, SPLASH, including its OOPSLA track, adapted to global disruptions by adopting virtual and hybrid formats, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 edition was fully virtual,[7] followed by a hybrid model in 2021 that supported both in-person and online participation, marking one of the first major post-pandemic experiments in hybrid conferencing for programming languages events.[8] This hybrid approach continued in 2022,[9] but from 2023 onward, the conference returned to in-person-only formats. These adaptations ensured continued accessibility and engagement, with sessions streamed to reach a global audience amid travel restrictions.Organization
Organizers and committees
The ACM Special Interest Group on Programming Languages (SIGPLAN) serves as the primary sponsor and organizational backbone for OOPSLA, overseeing its governance, funding, and alignment with broader programming languages research initiatives.[1] SIGPLAN appoints steering committees that guide conference planning, including selection of chairs and establishment of review processes, ensuring the event's academic rigor and continuity.[10] In its inaugural years, OOPSLA's leadership featured prominent figures from the object-oriented programming community. For the 1986 conference, Daniel G. Bobrow and Alan Purdy served as conference chairs, with Daniel Ingalls as program chair, setting the tone for the event's focus on innovative systems and languages.[10] The 1987 edition was led by conference chairs Adele Goldberg and Chet Wisinski, who advanced the conference's emphasis on practical applications.[10] By 1989, Kent Beck took on the role of program chair under conference chair George Bosworth, contributing to the growing discourse on software methodologies.[10] Over time, OOPSLA's committee structure evolved to support larger-scale operations and impartial review processes. Key bodies include the program committee, responsible for paper selection, and logistics committees handling venue and scheduling coordination.[11] A significant addition has been the External Review Committee (ERC), introduced to resolve conflicts of interest, particularly for submissions authored by program committee members; for instance, the 2012 ERC comprised 31 independent experts who reviewed such papers.[12] Following OOPSLA's integration into the SPLASH umbrella conference in 2010, these committees have collaborated with SPLASH-wide groups to streamline organization while maintaining OOPSLA's distinct identity.[10] Recent leadership reflects a commitment to diverse expertise from global academia. For the 2024 OOPSLA track within SPLASH, program co-chairs Alex Potanin (Australian National University) and Bor-Yuh Evan Chang (University of Colorado Boulder) oversaw the review process, supported by a committee of 98 members and six associate chairs.[13] In 2025, co-chairs Shriram Krishnamurthi (Brown University) and Sukyoung Ryu (KAIST) lead the effort, with associate chairs including Işıl Dillig (University of Texas at Austin), Sebastian Erdweg (TU Darmstadt), and Matthias Hauswirth (University of Lugano), drawing from institutions across North America, Europe, and Asia to foster inclusive perspectives.[14] The SPLASH steering committee, which includes OOPSLA representatives, further incorporates industry voices alongside academic leaders to balance theoretical and applied contributions.[11]Locations and dates
The OOPSLA conference has been held annually since its inception in 1986, primarily in North American locations during its early decades, with a gradual expansion to international venues following its integration into the SPLASH conference series starting in 2010.[15][10] From 1986 through the 2000s, OOPSLA events were predominantly hosted in the United States, such as Portland, Oregon in 1986 and 2006, Orlando, Florida in 2009, and other cities including San Diego, California (1988, 2005), with occasional venues in Canada like Ottawa in 1990 and Vancouver, British Columbia in 1992, 1998, and 2004.[15] This U.S.-centric pattern reflected the conference's origins within the ACM SIGPLAN community, centered in North America.[10] Post-2010, following the SPLASH integration, OOPSLA adopted a more global footprint, incorporating European locations such as Amsterdam, Netherlands in 2016 and Athens, Greece in 2019, as well as Cascais, Portugal in 2023, alongside Asian and Oceanic sites like Singapore in 2025 and Auckland, New Zealand in 2022.[15] Recent U.S. venues include Pasadena, California in 2024 and the planned Oakland, California in 2026.[16] The conferences in 2020 and 2021 were held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the 2021 event hybrid and associated with Chicago, Illinois.[15] OOPSLA typically occurs in October or November, spanning 4-5 days with main technical sessions mid-week, aligning with the academic calendar to facilitate attendance by researchers and practitioners.[10][17]| Year | Location |
|---|---|
| 1986 | Portland, OR, USA |
| 2006 | Portland, OR, USA |
| 2024 | Pasadena, CA, USA |
| 2025 | Singapore |
| 2026 | Oakland, CA, USA |