Object-Relational Database Management System (ORDBMS)
What is it?
An Object-Relational Database Management System (ORDBMS) is a database management system (DBMS) that combines features of both relational databases (RDBMS) and object-oriented databases. It essentially adds object-oriented capabilities to a traditional relational database system.
Key characteristics of an ORDBMS include:
- Object-Oriented Features: Supports concepts like classes, objects, inheritance, and polymorphism.
- Relational Foundation: Retains the relational model’s structure, data integrity, and query capabilities (usually SQL).
- Complex Data Types: Allows storage of complex data types like multimedia, documents, and spatial data, which are difficult to manage in a pure RDBMS.
ORDBMS vs. RDBMS
| Feature | RDBMS | ORDBMS |
|---|---|---|
| Data Model | Relational (tables, rows, columns) | Relational + Object-Oriented (objects, classes, inheritance) |
| Data Types | Limited to basic types (integer, string…) | Supports complex types (multimedia, spatial data, user-defined types) |
| Relationships | Foreign keys | Object references, inheritance |
| Query Language | SQL | SQL extended with object-oriented features (e.g., object methods in SQL) |
| Complexity | Simpler | More complex |
| Use Cases | Transactional applications, data warehousing | Applications needing complex data types and object-oriented features |
Examples
- PostgreSQL: A widely used open-source ORDBMS.
- Oracle: A commercial ORDBMS with extensive features.
- IBM DB2: Another commercial ORDBMS.