Abstract: Agent-oriented software engineering (AOSE) is an emerging and leading field in the literature of software engineering, which intends to integrate agent theory and technology with the software engineering philosophy and principles together in order to provide the engineering solutions to develop agent-based systems. In recent years, great progresses have been made in the study of AOSE, with the development of Web application and the socialization of software development. In this paper, the backgrounds of AOSE are introduced from the viewpoints of application requirements and technology developments, and a comprehensive survey of research and status of AOSE is presented. The open problems and challenges are finally discussed to guide future research.