Object Orientation within the PRIMA-NDBS

1. Overview In the following we wish to highlight the design and implementation concepts of a non-standard database system (NDBS) called PRIMA and its provision for object orientation. Non-standard database applications such as CAD/CAM, VLSI design, and knowledge-based systems require adequate modeling facilities for their application objects for various reasons [H~.88b]. Data models dedicated to supporting such applications embody some degree of object orientation to the application objects [DD86]. In this context, the notion of complex object has emerged to indicate that such an object holds an internal structure and that access to the entire object as well as to its components (which may again be of a complex type) is provided by means of generic operators-in this sense we speak of structural object orientation. To enhance integrity control and semantic as well as operational expres-siveness, more object properties (beyond the above introduced structural relationships) have to be specified and preserved-this extended notion of object orientation is also referred to as behavioral object orientation. By this means appropriate forms of data abstraction and operational support are provided, thus relieving the application from the burden of behavioral object orientation structural object orientation application objects and operations A molecule sets