  The Stanford Linear Collider (SLC) was the first prototype of a new type of
accelerator, the electron-positron linear collider. Many years of dedicated
effort were required to understand the physics of this new technology and to
develop the techniques for maximizing performance. Key issues were emittance
dilution, stability, final beam optimization and background control. Precision,
non-invasive diagnostics were required to measure and monitor the beams
throughout the machine. Beam-based feedback systems were needed to stabilize
energy, trajectory, intensity and the final beam size at the interaction point.
A variety of new tuning techniques were developed to correct for residual
optical or alignment errors. The final focus system underwent a series of
refinements in order to deliver sub-micron size beams. It also took many
iterations to understand the sources of backgrounds and develop the methods to
control them. The benefit from this accumulated experience was seen in the
performance of the SLC during its final run in 1997-98. The luminosity
increased by a factor of three to 3*10**30 and the 350,000 Z data sample
delivered was nearly double that from all previous runs combined.
