Db4objects has added object-oriented replication to its embeddable OOP/ODBMS (object-oriented object database) for mobile devices and real-time embedded systems. Db40 4.5 stores Java/.NET objects without requiring conversion to SQL or another format, and is available under commercial and free licenses, for Java, .NET, and Mono.

Db4objects began offering Db40 under the GPL last December, while retaining a commercial license for those using the database in proprietary products.

According to Db4objects, object-oriented replication is simpler than conventional replication of relational database tables, especially in distributed systems with “partially connected” clients. Replication is simplified because synchronization conflicts at the data layer can be resolved by “smart persisted objects,” without requiring the application layer to carry knowledge of business rules. The approach also simplifies “refactoring the object scheme” for new functions and data entities, the company says.

Db4objects says Db4o is especially suited for embedding into Java and .NET applications that run on mobile devices. It says the database enabled a supplier of fieldforce applications to the German utilities industry to build an application that could synchronize 300,000 objects efficiently enough that its customers could switch from laptops to PDAs.

Besides object-oriented replication, another new feature in DB4o 4.5 is the ObjectManager GUI, which Db4objects says can ease the transition to OOP (object-oriented programming) thinking for developers new to OOP or to ODBMS. The GUI can be used to monitor objects stored in the database in real-time, without requiring access to application classes. It can also be used to build ad-hoc queries for instances of a class.

The ObjectManager GUI offers generic browsing/querying
Db4objects CEO Christof Wittig said, “The amazing interest in our offerings, the closing of several major deals with lead customers, and, above all, the release of several remarkable product updates with breakthrough functionalities, show that object-oriented persistence will gain a larger market share with our affordable, open source approach than it has ever reached by promotion through high-cost, closed-source vendors – who are now cashing out on outdated, non-native, platform-restricted products.”

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