Vortragsdetails

Database categories and ODABA

von Reinhard Karge (run Software-Werkstatt GmbH)

Friday, 25.05.2012, Berlin II, 16:30-17:15 Uhr

ODABA is a terminology-oriented database management system, which allows reflecting IT problems and solutions in terms of human language (terminology model). The theoretical base for ODABA is the “Unified Database Theory”, which classifies different database systems (Key/Value stores, Relational and OO-databases, data warehouse) and covers all known types of databases by a common frame. Thus, ODABA not only supports OODBMS features, but also Key/Value Store technologies as well as data warehouse technologies (partially). Moreover, ODABA provides an OR-Mapper, that allows transforming ODABA data models into relational models (MySQL, Oracle, …) and also supports RDBMS as database mirror or primary data store. With OSI, ODABA provides a JAVA like NoSQL scripting language for accessing and manipulating data. Instead of SQL statements, ODABA supports access by database variables and operation paths. A comprehensive C++ API also provides comfortable database access features. The ODABA object definition language (ODL) is an extension of the ODMG 2003 database standard for object-oriented databases. Beside enhanced database concepts, ODABA supports scalable client/server architectures (including NoServer applications), additional storage formats and many other extensions. Also, With Terminus, ClassEditor, GUI Designer and Object Commander, ODABA provides a series of rapid application development (RAD) tools, which support fast development for complex applications. ODABA and tools provides a suite for application developers in different areas. ODABA is specialized in handling complex systems with many relationships between different objects. Thus, ODABA is a powerful system for developing business applications, but also simple applications for personal use (as the Media Player example). The Advantage of ODABA is, that it allows managing database information much easier as comparable systems from Microsoft or Oracle (No SQL required!) Moreover, ODABA technologies make application development simpler and faster than comparable tools of big database vendors. Terminology based development allows defining customer's requests in terms of natural language (terminology model). Terminology models may be transformed into database models, which might be used immediately for GUI application design. Database models may also be scripted using ODL or may be defined by means of the ClassEditor, which also provides Wizards for inexperienced users. Business rules (stored procedures and event handler) may be implemented in OSI, but also in C++, as well as application rules. Based on Qt GUI kit and Active Data Link technology, ODE allows designing database driven GUI applications. ODABA also supports document generation features based on Open Document Standard. ODE tools support multilingual documentation objects, which may be composed to documents, HTML pages or online help topics. The complete WEB documentation (nearly 10 000 HTML pages) and may documents have been generated from ODE documentation topics. ODABA is used in several production environments since 1994. In August 2010, ODABA has been released as Open Source Software under GPL for Linux and Windows platforms. ODABA is maintained and released (4-6 releases per year) by run-Software and distributed via Source Forge and other Open Source platforms. There is not yet a developer community, but run-Software has moved to Büro 2.0 community and became member of OSB (Open Source Berlin, 2011) in order to improve interaction with the community. ODABA has been the base for several commercial projects as BRIDGE/METAS (knowledge base for statistical offices), BELAMI (accounting and contract management system for MITROPA/DSG) or KUVERT (Insurance management for an Internet Insurance agency). REFEUS (developed by the Refeus group) provides a knowledge collection system for students and scientists.

Über den Autor Reinhard Karge:

R. Karge has a master degree in mathematics. He has been working as system programmer and database system developer in national statistical office of GDR until 1990. 1992 he started the ODABA database development together with a colleague. After founding the run Software-Werkstatt GmbH in 1994 with the strategical goal of the development of ODABA and development tools, he worked as project leader, system architect and developer of ODABA and tools. R. Karge has published several books and theoretical papers about database theory and terminology models and rapid application technologies. He was also working in a number of international work groups and projects mainly related to knowledge management in statistical offices.