Re: What makes an OODBMS different from an RDBMS?

> The second is that it's almost impossible to share data stored in an OODBMS
> in a multiple, heterogeneous application environment.

An oodb, like XDb, is not multi-user, but can be accessed by from "COM-compatible" application environments such as VB, VBScript, C++, ASP, Delphi, etc.

> There is a third difference.... is to catalog the table thus built
> in a "data dictionary" that is itself a schema of tables stored elsewhere
> in the same database. This allows data in a relational database to be self
> describing. It's possible that there is a parallel construct in the world of > OODBMS products. If so, it's escaped my notice.

Although it is an apple-to-orange comparison, an oodb, like XDb, is self-describing. Each object has the capability of acting as a template for its instances, and instances have the capability of acting as templates for their instances and so on. It is also possible to contruct a complex class that acts as a template for an entire Car and all its dependent classes (ie Chassis, Tire, Nut, etc). However, in XDb, each instance has the flexibility to be different than its class. (http://www.xdb1.com/Basics/ClassComplex1.asp) Received on Sat Nov 24 2001 - 21:07:58 CET