From: Clifford Heath <no.spam@...>
Date: 2007-03-22T07:00:05+09:00
Subject: Re: Object/Relational Mapping is the Vietnam of Computer Science

Chad Perrin wrote:
> That's really the major problem I have with it -- the limitations of
> SQL, thanks to including SQL.

The "limitations" of SQL stem from it being a true child
of the 1970's, but also from the relational model it adopts,
and from the requirements of transactional processing. This
last one is the most intractable and the least-commonly
understood. It's easy to pile criticisms on SQL, but it's
funny how the people who do it almost *never* seem to have
a deep understanding of the amazingly complex field of
transactional processing.

Object databases are even more fraught with problems arising
from the model they espouse than relational ones. I could go
on for a week about this, but suffice it to say that generally,
by trying to force persistence into an object model, they've
lost the plot regarding transactional behaviour, despite some
well-meaning attempts and even partial successes.

The right answer is more subtle and simpler than either, and
it's fact-oriented databases. I'll be having more to say about
that as my ActiveFacts project progresses.

Clifford Heath.