Database Application Programming with Versioned Complex Objects

Database systems as basis for CAD frameworks have to provide data management as well as transaction management facilities meeting the requirements of design applications. One of the most important features is an application programming interface (API) supporting design tool implementation as well as integration of design tools into the CAD framework by integrating a database language into a host programming language. Different integration techniques have been proposed in the past. We argue that call interfaces are the choice for object-oriented environments. Especially, code generation can effectively be used to tackle the impedance mismatch problem and to achieve a seamless integration, an easy-to-use interface as well as an efficient run-time environment. We exemplify this by introducing a database management system tailored to adequate management of explicit complex-object versions. Its API integrates a setoriented, descriptive database language into an object-oriented, high-level programming language (C++) by following a call interface approach. We also report on our prototype system and corresponding experience.