Advances In Object Oriented Database Systems

Object-oriented database management systems (OODBMSs) have generated significant excitement in the database community in the last decade. This interest stems from a real need for data management support for what are called "advanced application areas" that are not well-served by relational technology. The case for object-oriented technology has been made on three fronts. First is the data modeling requirements of the new applications. Some of the more important shortcomings of the relational systems in meeting the requirements of these applications include: 1. Relational systems deal with a single object type: a relation. A relation is used to model different real-world objects, but the semantics of this association is not part of the database. Furthermore, the attributes of a relation may come only from simple and fixed data type domains (numeric, character, and, sometimes, date types). Advanced applications require explicit storage and manipulation of more abstract types (e.g., images, design documents) and the ability for the users to define their own application-specific types. Therefore, a rich type system supporting user defined abstract types is required. 2. The relational model structures data in a relatively simple and flat manner. Non traditional applications require more complex object structures with nested objects (e.g., a vehicle object containing an engine object).

Computer Science Workbench is a monograph series which will provide you with an in depth working knowledge of current developments in computer technology. Every volume in this series will deal with a topic of importance in computer science and elaborate on how you yourself can build systems related to the main theme. You will be able to develop a variety of systems, including computer software tools, computer graphics, computer animation, database management systems, and computer-aided design and manufacturing systems. Computer Science Workbench represents an important new contribution in the field of practical computer technology. Tosiyasu L. Kunii Preface The goal of this book is to give concrete answers to questions such as what object oriented databases are, why they are needed, how they are implemented, and how they are applied, by describing a research prototype object-oriented database system called Jasmine. That is, this book is aimed at creating a consistent view to object-oriented databases. The contents of this book are directly based on the results of the Jasmine project conducted at Fujitsu Laboratories, Ltd. The book is a polished version of my doctoral dissertation, which includes research papers which I have authored and published.

This well-received book, now in its third edition, is a comprehensive presentation of the fundamentals of object-oriented database systems (OODBMS). It provides extensive coverage of the different approaches to object data management, including the three major approaches--semantic database systems approach, object-oriented programming language extension approach, and the relational extension approach--as well as the various types of architectures of object-oriented database systems. The book discusses all recent developments in this field, such as the emergence of Java as the dominant object-oriented programming language--resulting in upcoming OODBMS products such as Ozone--and the provision of object-oriented database features in object-relational database systems (ORDBMS) products such as Oracle 9i and DB2. The new edition provides an extensive discussion of PostgreSQL, a popular open source object-oriented database system which has emerged as a viable alternative to expensive commercial database systems such as Oracle. The book is extensively illustrated, which enables students to develop a firm grasp of the underlying concepts. The chapter-end exercises help in testing the students' comprehension of the fundamental principles. The book is primarily meant for students of IT-related programmes having courses in database systems. Computer professionals will also find the book immensely useful.

This book focuses on recent developments in representational and processing aspects of complex data-intensive applications. Until recently, information systems have been designed around different business functions, such as accounts payable and inventory control. Object-oriented modeling, in contrast, structures systems around the data--the objects--that make up the various business functions. Because information about a particular function is limited to one place--to the object--the system is shielded from the effects of change. Object-oriented modeling also promotes better understanding of requirements, clear designs, and more easily maintainable systems. This book focuses on recent developments in representational and processing aspects of complex data-intensive applications. The chapters cover "hot" topics such as application behavior and consistency, reverse engineering, interoperability and collaboration between objects, and work-flow modeling. Each chapter contains a review of its subject, followed by object-oriented modeling techniques and methodologies that can be applied to real-life applications. Contributors F. Casati, S. Ceri, R. Cicchetti, L. M. L. Delcambre, E. F. Ecklund, D. W. Embley, G. Engels, J. M. Gagnon, R. Godin, M. Gogolla, L. Groenewegen, G. S. Jensen, G. Kappel, B. J. Krämer, S. W. Liddle, R. Missaoui, M. Norrie, M. P. Papazoglou, C. Parent, B. Perniei, P. Poncelet, G. Pozzi, M. Schreft, R. T. Snodgrass, S. Spaccapietra, M. Stumptner, M. Teisseire, W. J. van den Heuevel, S. N. Woodfield

Provides a simple, concise introduction to object-oriented database systems, with emphasis on their use as an enabling technology for supporting large scale software development.

This volume collects papers presented at the 2nd International Workshop on Object-Oriented Database Systems (ooDBS-II) held at the Ebernburg near Bad Münster am Stein, FRG, in September 1988. It thus gives a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in this flourishing area of current database research. Object-oriented database systems have been approached with mainly two major intentions in mind, namely to better support new application areas like CAD/CAM, office automation, knowledge engineering, and to overcome the 'impedance mismatch' between data models and programming languages. The notion of object-orientation in database systems is thus a broader one than e.g. in the area of programming languages. Structural object-orientation provides for data model mechanisms that allow the direct representation and manipulation of highly-structured entities; behavioral object-orientation cares for facilities to associate arbitrary user-defined type-specific operations with data entities; finally, full object-orientation tries to combine the advantages of both categories. Though data model concepts are the decisive feature of object-oriented database systems, numerous other system aspects have to be reconsidered or allow better solutions, respectively, in this light. They include e.g. transactions, implementation techniques, optimization, formalization, the inclusion of rules, and the integration with other systems. A number of research prototypes and even some commercial systems are meanwhile available. Both, approaches to extend databases with object-oriented capabilities and approaches to extend object-oriented programming languages with database features have been and are being investigated.

Written for applications programmers, software systems developers, and designers new to object technology, this book presents the major features of object-oriented database systems, addressing common problems and the latest solutions. It explains in detail how database technology can make use of fundamental object-oriented concepts such as data abstraction, encapsulation, inheritance and polymorphism.