Tran - Object-oriented Database

Object-oriented database (OODB) refers to a database model in which information is presented in the form of objects rather than data such as integers, strings or real numbers. The database is managed by object-oriented database management system (also known as OODBMS).

The interest in this type of database come from the needs of design support systems such as computer-aided software engineering, computer-aided manufacture or computer-aided design. These applications require databases that can handle complex data, and provide high performance dictated by interactive system.

In OODB, every entity is an object. While similar objects can be classified to classes and sub classes. An object has characteristic which are referred to as attributes. To be called an OODBMS, it must be a database management system, and an object-oriented system. Mandatory features of an object-oriented system are complex objects, object identity, encapsulation, classes, inheritance, overriding, extensibility and computational completeness.

The implementation of OODB is similar to relational database in the 70s. A primary feature of an OODBMS is that accessing objects in the database is done in a transparent manner such that interaction with persistent objects is no different from interacting with in-memory objects. This is very different from using a RDBMS in that there is no need to interact via a query sub-language like SQL. OODBMS were originally thought of to replace RDBMS because of their better fit with object-oriented programming languages. However, high switching cost, higher efficiency of RDBMS when dealing with simple data and relationship, the inclusion of object-oriented features in RDBMS to make them ORDBMS, and the emergence of object-relational mappers (ORMs) have made RDBMS successfully defend their dominance in the data center for server-side persistence

Sources:

Obasanjo, D. (n.d.). AN EXPLORATION OF OBJECT ORIENTED DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS.

Kim, W., Nicolas, J. M., & Nishio, S. (1990). Deductive and object-oriented databases: proceedings of the First International Conference on Deductive and Object-Oriented Databases (DOOD89), Kyoto Research Park, Kyoto, Japan, 4-6 December, 1989.

Dung,

Do you think that object-oriented database will soon replace relational database? Since relational database management system has many drawbacks such as the expensive of setting up and maintaining the database system, fast increase in complexity of information. 

Marino,
I agree with you that one of the greatest benefit of OODB is that objects are stored by classes and sub classes which make it easier for navigation, also give the system a better concurrency control.

Shaden,

During my co-op with the construction unit of PWD, I had a chance to use a database developed by Oracle Project Management to keep track of issues or change orders with clients. Files can be accessed, downloaded and edited from anywhere by people who involved in the project. Use of database in design offices really saved lots of time and money for owner and contractors.