From semantic to object-oriented data modeling

The author shows a possible path from semantic data modeling and data manipulation to greater support of information integrity by means of applying programming methodology paradigms, i.e. object-oriented data modeling and data manipulation. It is suggested that the dissimilarity between the semantic and the object-oriented models is not as sharp as it may seem. The trend for current experimental and commercial database models is to have both facilities: both structural and behavioral properties of data should belong to the database schema, i.e. to a data definition language. Extensibility of the sets of available metatypes and of available types and explicit support of high-level behavior at the metatype and type levels lead to the integration of these two models. It is therefore concluded that the path from an extensible semantic model to an object-oriented one is within the reach of the current generation of data modelers and users