object-oriented database

computing

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Last updated

June 17, 2026

Quick Summary

Object-oriented databases are a type of database that stores data as objects, similar to how they are handled in object-oriented programming. This approach helps manage complexity in large programs by packaging data with the operations that act on it, hiding internal details and making parts of the program more manageable.1

Object-oriented programming, which influences these databases, began with languages like Simula and Smalltalk and has become prominent with languages such as Java. The concept of "object-oriented" in computing refers to systems that use these predefined modular units.12

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Object-oriented databases store and manipulate more complex data structures, called “objects,” which are organized into hierarchical classes that may inherit properties from classes higher in the chain; this database structure is the most flexible and adaptable.
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Object-oriented databases store and manipulate more complex data structures, called “objects,” which are organized into hierarchical classes that may inherit properties from classes higher in the chain; this database structure is the most flexible and adaptable.
Read More