The original Visual Objects project (code-named Aspen) was started as part of Nantucket's attempts to bring the Clipper language to Windows, and move from the procedural to the object-oriented style.
It also converted Clipper from a p-code system to being a true native compiler and introduced more elements of the C language (such as typed variables), while including Windows extensions (such as COM, ODBC, and later ADO).
With its symbol datatype, it offers the ability to form name-based linkages, which may be used to connect menu events to object methods or form direct linkages between server columns and controls.
[1] The Windows version was finally brought to market by Computer Associates.
The next incarnation of the Visual Objects language is Vulcan.NET, written by GrafX from scratch to be both Visual Objects compatible and be a true CLS compliant .NET language, taking full advantage of the .NET framework.