Introduction

ODABA is a terminology-oriented database system that allows storing objects and methods as well as causalities . As terminology-oriented database, ODABA supports complex object types (user-defined data types) defined in a terminology model, which reflect application relevant concepts.

ODABA applications are characterized by high flexibility. In addition to object type or context hierarchies, ODABA supports multifarious relations between object instances (master and detail relations, relations between independent object instances and others). This way, behavior of objects in the real world can be represented considerably better than in relational database systems.

ODABA supports event-driven applications concerning the graphical user interface as well as the database level. Thus, application design is tightly related to the experts or customers problem, since it refers to the same names and concepts as being defined by subject matter experts. This enables ODABA to solve highly complex jobs in administrative and knowledge areas.

ODABA supports windows platforms (from Windows 95 up to Windows8) as well as UNIX platforms and Mac OS (. ODABA supports 64 and 32 bit technologies.

ODABA also runs well in heterogeneous client/server environments or with Internet servers.

ODABA supports several technical interfaces:

• C++, .Net as application program interface (this allows e.g. using ODABA in C# or VB scripts and applications)

• ODABA Script Interface (OSI) for accessing data via a script language, which is similar to C# or JAVA.

• Multiple storage support for using relational databases for storing ODABA data

• XML for supporting data exchange with complex data structures

• OIF (object interchange format), flat files and ESDF (extended self delimiter fields) for accessing data provided in external file formats

• Document exchange support for importing or exporting data from/to open office or Microsoft office documents.

ODABA provides a number of database maintenance tools, but also development tools in order to provide terminology model definitions, data model specifications, application design and others.

To support just-in-time documentation, all ODABA tools provide extended documentation facilities, which are the base for generating system and WEB documentation, but also online help systems.

License regulations contain the agreements for using ODABA. Practically, one may use ODABA as long as publishing products as Open Source products under GPL, again. Besides the GPL there is a commercial license available, which allows using ODABA for creating products, which do not require a GPL.

ODABA does not require run-time licenses for ODABA applications, except some special advanced features (in this version it is the RDBMS controller for running ODABA on relational database systems). Usually, advanced features become part of the open source agreement after a few years.

One may use the GPL in order to develop other software licensed under GPL. In order to develop commercial software not licensed as GPL product, one may get a commercial development license.

Note, the the GPL allows creating any sort of GPL projects, i.e. projects for own purposes as well as well as commercial products (as long as those are published under GPL, again). In order to develop non-GPL products, a commercial development license is required, which can be ordered at RUN-Software.

One may also join the ODABA Software Development Foundation, which supports the further ODABA development and which gives you a chance to participate in strategic and short term decisions.