Object Relational Database Systems:

1. Introduction

2. Objects in SQL3

3. Comparison of ODL/OQL and SQL3 Approaches

CIS 671
ORDBS 1
 Object Query Language (OQL)
• “Bring the best of SQL to the object world.”
• Syntax similar to SQL
• Plus additional features
• Works with programming languages where ODMG
has defined bindings
– Java, C++, Smalltalk
– Returns object matching type system of that language
– May implement class operations in these languages

• SQL3 – “Bring the best of the object-oriented

world to the relational world.”
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Overview: Object Relational DB Systems
SQL3
• Interfacing SQL to a programming language.
– Cursors
• Data Types
– Built-in
– User Defined
• Operations

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 Data Types – Built-in
• smallint – 16-bit integer • char(n) – fixed length, n ≤ 254
• integer – 32-bit integer • varchar(n) – varying length
– n ≤ 254
• decimal(p,s) – decimal – 254 ≤ n ≤ 4000; no group by, etc.
number, precision p, scale s • bit(n)
• float – 32-bit float • varbit(n)
• double – 64-bit float • boolean [SQL3]
• Large Objects [SQL3]
– blob(binary large object)
• date – year, month, day • ≤ 231 –1 bytes
• time – hour, minute, second – clob(character large object)
• ≤ 231 –1 bytes
• timestamp - year, month,
day, hour, minute, second, Domain
microsecond e.g., create domain
• interval – year/month or SSN_TYPE as char(9)
day/time not used much.
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 Objects in SQL3
• Row objects, tuples or structs, and
• Abstract data types (ADT), general objects,
used as components of tuples.

ORDBS 5
 Movies Example: Movies, Stars, Studios
ODL Version
Stars
Movies name
stars starredIn
title address
year street
length /* in minutes */ city
filmType:{color,
blackAndWhite}
lengthInHours ownedBy owns Studios
starNames name
otherMovies

Set of stars of this movie.

Other movies by star of this movie.

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Movies Example: Movies, Stars, Studios
ER Version

N M
Movie StarsIn MovieStar

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 Row Types [SQL3 or SQL:1999]
• Row-type Definition:
create row type Double dot
T (<component-declaration-list>) Path Exp.
• Examples:
create row type AddressType(
street char(50),
city char(20));
create row type StarType(
name char(30), Cannot directly
address AddressType represent set of
movies starred-in.
);
create table MovieStar of type StarType;
select MovieStar..name, MovieStar..address..street
from MovieStar
ORDBS Where MovieStar..address..city = ‘Columbus’; 8
References • SQL3’s way to represent “objects”.
N M
Movie StarsIn MovieStar

create row type StarType( create row type MovieType(

name char(30), title char(30),
address AddressType ); year integer );
create row type StarsInType(
star ref(StarType),
movie ref(MovieType) );
create table Movie of type MovieType; Dereferencing
create table MovieStar of type StarType; operator (->)
create table StarsIn of type StarsInType;
select movie -> title
from StarsIn
ORDBS where star->name = ‘Mel Gibson’ 9
 Object Identifiers
• May be explicitly declared and accessed.
• Can serve as both object ID and primary key.

create row type StarType( create row type MovieType(

star_id ref(StarType), movie_id ref(MovieType),
name char(30), title char(30),
address AddressType ); year integer );
create table Movie of type MovieType
values for movie_id are system generated;
create table MovieStar of type StarType
values for star_id are system generated;

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Specifying Scope to Aid Performance
create row type StarsInType(
How to find movies?
star ref(StarType),
movie ref(MovieType) ); Examine every StarsIn tuple.

select movie -> title

from StarsIn
Index on name attribute. where star->name = ‘Mel Gibson’
Could have another
relation with StarType.

create table StarsIn of type StarsInType

scope for star is MovieStar,
scope for movie is Movie;
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 Objects in SQL3
• Row objects, tuples or structs (REVIEW),
and
• Abstract data types (ADT), general objects,
used as components of tuples.

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 Abstract data type (ADT)

• Used as components of tuples,

– Not as tuples themselves.
• Have tuple structure.

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 ADT - “Built-in” Functions
• Constructor functions returning new object of type.
– All attributes initially null.
– If T is name of ADT, then T() is constructor.
• Observer functions for each attribute.
– If A is attribute name & X is variable whose value is an
object of the ADT, then A(X) (or X.A) is the value of
attribute A of object X.
• Mutator functions for each attribute.
– Sets the value of that attribute to a new value.
– Normally used on left side of assignment

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 Example: Address ADT
create type AddressADT (
street char(50),
city char(20),
equals addrEq,
less than addrLT
other functions could be declared here
);

Addresses will be encapsulated

• Access to street & city allowed only if observer
and mutator functions made public.
• Functions addrEQ and addrLT defined later.
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More interesting example: ADT for Mpegs

create type Mpeg (

video blob,
length integer,
copyright varchar(255),
equals default, /* i.e., identity */
less than none
definitions of MPEG functions go here
);

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 Defining Methods for ADT’s
Function <name> ( <arguments> ) returns <type> ;

• Function types
– Internal
• Written in SQL.
– External
• Written in C++, Java, etc.
• Only signature appears in definition of the ADT.

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 Extended SQL
• := used as assignment operator.
• Variable local to the function can be declared by giving
its name, preceded by a colon and followed by its type.
:s char(50) /* s will be a street */
• Dot operator used to access components of a structure
:a.street := :s /* a, an address */
• Boolean values can be expressed as in where clauses.
• begin and end are used to collect several statements
into the body of a function.

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Some Functions for the ADT AddressADT:
1. Constructor Function
function AddressADT (:s char(50), :c char(20))
returns AddressADT;
:a AddressADT; /* declare local variable */
begin
:a := AddressADT(); /* use built-in constructor */
:a.street := :s;
:a.city := :c;
return :a;
end;
Note: We can use the same name, AddressADT,
as the default constructor.
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More Functions for the ADT AddressADT:
2. equals (addrEq )and less than (addrLT) Functions

function addrEq (:a1 AddressADT, :a2 AddressADT)

returns boolean;
return ( :a1.street = :a2.street and
:a1.city = :a2.city);

function addrLT (:a1 AddressADT, :a2 AddressADT)

returns boolean;
return ( (:a1.city < :a2.city) or
(:a1.city = :a2.city and :a1.street < :a2.street));
ORDBS 20
Another Function for the ADT AddressADT:
3. fullAddr, function returning the full address,
including zip code, as a single character string

function fullAddr (:a AddressADT)

returns char(82);
:z char(10); /* for the zip code nnnnn-nnnn*/
begin
:z := findZip(:a.street, :a.city );
return (:a.street || ‘ ‘ || :a.city || ‘ ‘ || :z);
end;
findZip, an externally defined
function which looks up the zip code
for a given city and street.
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 External Functions
• ADT Definition must include:
– Signature.
– Specification of programming language in
which function is written.

declare external findZip

char(50), char(20) returns char(10)
language Java;

Arguments passed according to

Java conventions.

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 Comparison of ODL/OQL and
SQL3 Approaches
• Similarities outweigh differences, even though
origins different:
– ODL/OQL: object-oriented programming languages.
– SQL3: relational database languages.
• Have effectively adopted ideas from each other.

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 Comparing ODL/OQL vs. SQL3
actually
ODL/OQL vs. SQL3 row types vs. SQL3 ADT types
1. Programming environment.
2. Role of relations.
3. Encapsulation.
4. Extents of classes.
5. Mutability of objects.
6. Object identity.

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 ODL/OQL vs. SQL3 row types vs. SQL3 ADT types
1. Programming environment
• OQL
– Assumes statements embedded in OO programming
language, C++, Java, …
• SQL3
– Objects not objects of surrounding programming
language.
– External functions in SQL3 ADT’s provide
additional flexibility.

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 ODL/OQL vs. SQL3 row types vs. SQL3 ADT types
2. Role of relations

• OQL
– Sets and bags of objects or structures are central.
• SQL3
– Relations are central.
– Row types describe relations.
– ADT’s describe new types for attributes.
• Collections of structures in ODL/OQL
similar to Relations in SQL3.
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 ODL/OQL vs. SQL3 row types vs. SQL3 ADT types
3. Encapsulation
• SQL3 Row Types
– Not encapsulated.
– Querying & modifying relations, tuples, and
components allowed.
• SQL3 ADT’s
– Encapsulated in the usual sense.
• ODL Classes
– Similar to SQL3 ADT’s in encapsulation

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 ODL/OQL vs. SQL3 row types vs. SQL3 ADT types
4. Extents for Classes
• OQL
– Single extent maintained for each class.
– Thus references (relationships in OQL) always refer to some
member or members of this extent.
• SQL3
– An extent for a row type allowed, but not required.
• If no extent for a row type, then may be problem finding relation
containing referenced tuple.

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 ODL/OQL vs. SQL3 row types vs. SQL3 ADT types
5. Mutability of Objects
• Immutable Object: once created, no part of its values can change.
– Objects of elementary type, e.g., integers or strings, are immutable.
• Mutable Object: components may change, while object retains its
identity.
• ODL Classes & SQL3 Row Types
– Define classes of mutable objects.
– ODL/OQL: modification occurs through surrounding programming
language, not through OQL.
• SQL3 ADT’s
– Mutator functions applied to their values result in new value, which may
replace old one.
• Similar to SQL update statement on integer-valued attribute produces a new
integer that might replace the old integer in the tuple.

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 ODL/OQL vs. SQL3 row types vs. SQL3 ADT types
6. Object Identity
• OQL & SQL3 ADT’s
– “Standard” OID: system generated, which
cannot be stored or manipulated by user.
• SQL3 Row Type
– User can create “primary key”.
– Without this relations would usually have two
“keys”:
• OID
• Surrogate value, e.g., Employee_ID.
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