Object-oriented databases were originally developed as an alternative to relational database technology for the representation, storage, and access of non-traditional data forms that were increasingly found in advanced applications of database technology. After much debate regarding object-oriented versus relational database technology, object-oriented extensions were eventually incorporated into relational technology to create object-relational databases. Both object-oriented databases and object-relational databases, collectively known as object databases, provide inherent support for object features, such as object identity, classes, inheritance hierarchies, and associations between classes using object references. This monograph presents the fundamentals of object databases, with a specific focus on conceptual modeling of object database designs. After an introduction to the fundamental concepts of object-oriented data, the monograph provides a review of object-oriented conceptual modeling techniques using side-by-side Enhanced Entity Relationship diagrams and Unified Modeling Language conceptual class diagrams that feature class hierarchies with specialization constraints and object associations. These object-oriented conceptual models provide the basis for introducing case studies that illustrate the use of object features within the design of object-oriented and object-relational databases. For the object-oriented database perspective, the Object Data Management Group data definition language provides a portable, language-independent specification of an object schema, together with an SQL-like object query language. LINQ (Language INtegrated Query) is presented as a case study of an object query language together with its use in the db4o open-source object-oriented database. For the object-relational perspective, the object-relational features of the SQL standard are presented together with an accompanying case study of the object-relational features of Oracle. For completeness of coverage, an appendix provides a mapping of object-oriented conceptual designs to the relational model and its associated constraints. Table of Contents: List of Figures / List of Tables / Introduction to Object Databases / Object-Oriented Databases / Object-Relational Databases

Take a tour with leading researchers and developers for a practical look at object databases. Whether you currently work with or are thinking of moving to object databases, Chaudhri and Zicari provide a collection of real-world case studies and examples that demonstrate how some of the world's leading companies and research institutions are leveraging Java, XML, and Object Relational Systems to build robust databases. Starting with a comprehensive introduction to object and object-relational databases, the book then offers detailed discussions on some of the latest topics in the field such as JDBC and SQLJ support in relational databases and database modeling using UML. You'll also learn about object-to-relational mapping tools, architectural issues that influence performance, and the issues of complexity and scale.How popular tools from Computer Associates, eXcelon, GemStone, Objectivity, Oracle, Versant, and Poet were used in the case studies is also discussed.The companion Web site atwww.wiley.com/compbooks/chaudhri includes links to object-oriented database software applications and additional resources. Visit our Web site at www.wiley.com/compbooks/Visit the companion Web site at www.wiley.com/compbooks/chaudhri

Filled with advice distilled from the authors' experience in the creation and use of object-oriented technology, Succeeding with Objects is an invaluable guide to the decision processes inherent in successful software development using object-oriented technology. The focus of the book is on you - the developer, project manager, or IS executive.

This is the first book to cover db4o programming in comprehensive detail. Readers are briefed on all of the topics necessary to begin using it in production environments, including installation and configuration, querying and managing objects, performing transactions, and data replication. Newcomers to the topic aren't forgotten, as early chapters are devoted to object database fundamentals, in addition to technical considerations and migration strategies. Complete with numerous C# and Java examples, readers will be able to follow along with the examples regardless of their chosen language.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Database and Expert Systems Applications, DEXA 2008, held in Turin, Italy, in September 2008. The 74 revised full papers presented together with 1 invited paper were carefully reviewed and selected from 208 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on data privacy; temporal, spatial and high dimensional databases; semantic Web and ontologies; query processing; Web and information retrieval; mobile data and information; data and information streams; data mining algorithms; multimedia databases; data mining systems, data warehousing, OLAP; data and information semantics; XML databases; applications of database, information, and decision support systems; and schema, process and knowledge modelling and evolution.

Introductory, theory-practice balanced text teaching the fundamentals of databases to advanced undergraduates or graduate students in information systems or computer science.