Metaclasses and Their Application: Data Model Tailoring and Database Integration

Wolfgang Klas, Michael Schrefl (auth.)3540600639, 9783540600633

Conventional object-oriented data models are closed: although they allow users to define application-specific classes, they usually come with a fixed set of modelling primitives. This constitutes a major problem, as different application domains, e.g. database integration or multimedia, need special support.
Using an extended metaclass concept, this book provides for the solution of this problem a simple but extendible open object-oriented data model, a so-called RISC model. By introducing the basic concepts of the open object-oriented database management system VODAK, it demonstrates how the extended metaclass concept can be integrated homogeneously into object-oriented data models.

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Table of contents :
Introduction….Pages 1-7
Fundamental principles of object-oriented systems….Pages 8-13
Basic concepts for metaclasses in the object-oriented data model….Pages 14-70
Semantic data modelling….Pages 71-81
Metaclasses for semantic data modelling….Pages 82-122
Object class definition by generalization….Pages 123-149
Metaclasses for object class definition by generalization….Pages 150-171
Metaclasses in other object-oriented systems….Pages 172-177
Conclusion….Pages 178-181