Object-Oriented Database
An object-oriented database (OODB) is a database management system that stores data as objects, similar to those used in object-oriented programming languages. It directly supports complex data types, inheritance, and encapsulation, allowing developers to work with data in a way that aligns with their application's object model. This eliminates the need for object-relational mapping (ORM) layers often required with relational databases.
Developers should use object-oriented databases when building applications with complex, hierarchical data structures, such as CAD/CAM systems, multimedia applications, or scientific simulations, where the data naturally fits an object model. They are particularly valuable in domains like engineering, telecommunications, and finance, where relationships between data entities are intricate and performance for object-based queries is critical. Learning OODBs is beneficial for projects that require high performance with complex object graphs without the overhead of mapping to relational tables.