Re: Clean Object Class Design -- What is it?

Bob Badour wrote:
> >For me an object model is much easier to understand than a
> >dozen of tables that are linked together.
>
> Dozens of object classes linked by a multitude of pointer types is easier
 to
> understand than a dozen tables associated by like values? You have to be
> kidding.

I use Java. Pointers are not exposed. If you wish to program against relational databases using C, please do so.

Which of the following is easier to understand? Which technology needs to exposes keys and which doesn't?

1.)
person.address.country = "Object Country"; database.update(person);

2.)
String sql =
"UPDATE address
  SET country = 'Relational Country'
  WHERE address.personID = " +
    person.getID();
Statement#executeQuery(sql);

> >What's wrong with the approach?
>
> The data model.

For which usecase?

> >Usecases differ so widely that
> >a discussion "this database is better" can never lead to a result. Bob
> >Badour denies that object databases may be useful at all.
>
> That's not true. I have repeatedly stated that relational databases are
> object databases and that relational databases are extremely useful. More
> useful, in fact, than databases based on any other known data model.

If relational databases are object databases (which they aren't) what are object databases? Who are you trying to fool by moving terminologies and what for?

Relational databases store flat data in tables. What's object-oriented about that? Nothing.

Kind regards,
Carl

---
Carl Rosenberger
db4o - database for objects - http://www.db4o.com