Object identifiers and identity: a naming issue

This paper discusses the issue of identity in object systems. It addresses identity from a naming point of view, making a clear distinction between the role of object references and identifiers, and considering both to be defined within the scope of contexts. Different notions of object identity exist at different levels of abstraction. Our position is that abstractions are embodied in contexts, and the different notions of object identity can be obtained using identifiers from different contexts