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

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.

Readers will get a complete understanding of the notions, techniques, and methods related to the research and developments of fuzzy object-oriented databases from the book, which will serve as a starting point and a reference for their research and developments."--BOOK JACKET.

Written from a software engineering perspective, this book shows programmers & developers how to build object-oriented database applications for distributed & client/server environments using the newest update of the OMT methodology & UML.

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.

Enriching database models so as to allow the user to deal with fuzzy and uncertain information has been of scientists' concern for years. This resulted in numerous contributions, mainly with respect to the popular relational model or to some related form of it. The experience was instructive, although still far from concrete applications.The time has come that the advantages of object-oriented databases are acknowledged outside the research and academic worlds and a breakthrough of new commercial softwares is observed. Lately research has been devoted to the endowment of this type of databases with more real-world reflecting semantics. It proved that the object-oriented paradigm lends itself extremely well to it. This is very promising and opens new perspectives for the availability of new-generation database products in the near future.The book presents the latest research results in dealing with fuzziness and uncertainty in object-oriented databases.