OODB vs ORDB

[FunkyChicken]

Hi guys,

I'm trying to understand the basic concepts of Object-Oriented Databases and Object-Relational Databases but i'm finding it difficult to grasp.

What i'm really trying to identify are the main benefits and drawbacks of each and in what situation each might be used.

Have any of you guys got any experience of these two data models and could you please possibly give me some feedback?

Appreciation in advance

FunkyChicken

[bascule]

I've never heard of an "ORDB" but I've used several ORM (i.e. object persistence) APIs including ActiveRecord (by far the best), Hibernate, EzPDO, and Propel.

They all come off as an unholy fusion of the relational model and object orientation (e.g. they have hacks to support subclassing in RDBMs)

If you really study the relational model you'll learn it's just completely impractical for the kinds of things databases have to do in real life. That's why no database is really relational (e.g. you can't do predicate logic/relational algebra on stuff with NULL)

ORMs all desperately yearn for an OODBMS but in the end just remain an unholy fusion of disparate concepts.