Re: Mixing OO and DB

From: Patrick May <pjm_at_spe.com>
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2008 10:11:24 -0500
Message-ID: <m2k5lcsv6r.fsf_at_spe.com>

mAsterdam <mAsterdam_at_vrijdag.org> writes:
> Patrick May wrote:
>> Databases are just one type of software.
>
> Conflating database and the software supporting it, DBMS.

     Definitely sloppy wording on my part, clarified elsethread.

>> I use multiple paradigms as the situation warrants and I work with
>> a number of people who do as well. They're all just different
>> tools, each with advantages and disadvantages.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradigm currently says:
> "Kuhn defines a scientific paradigm as:
>
> * what is to be observed and scrutinized
> * the kind of questions that are supposed to be asked and
> probed for answers in relation to this subject
> * how these questions are to be structured
> * how the results of scientific investigations should be
> interpreted",
> and there is a link to a nice article:
> http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/Infostuttering/Paradigmparalysis.html
>
> Liberal and overly selfconfident use of the word paradigm hints at
> entrenchment within one, not the capability of distinguishing the
> boundaries, their nature and how to deal with them.

     The word "paradigm" has evolved to have a less rigorous meaning within software. I actually don't like the term thus applied, but I was using it in the canonical sense for this context.

>> Grouping one set of tools together and calling it "relational",
>> another set "object oriented", and another set "functional" is
>> useful to identify those that complement each other, but it's
>> important to realize that those sets are not disjoint. It's also
>> important to realize that the tools in each set complement each
>> other _in a particular context_. In a different context, that is,
>> a different problem or solution domain, different sets of tools may
>> make sense.
>
> Agreed. A consequence of this position is, though, that it becomes
> crucial to recognize contexts, particularity of situations and the
> divides between them.

     No argument here.

Regards,

Patrick

---

S P Engineering, Inc. | Large scale, mission-critical, distributed OO

                       | systems design and implementation.
          pjm_at_spe.com  | (C++, Java, Common Lisp, Jini, middleware, SOA)

Received on Sun Feb 10 2008 - 16:11:24 CET