Summary

In this chapter you learned the following:

• The components of the object data model.

• The difference between an object and a class.

• Classes, attributes, methods , inheritance, and other facets of the object data model.

• The relational data model in comparison to the object data model.

• The relational data model in its most basic form produces flat data structures.

• The object model is the same hierarchical structure as XML documents should be.

• Describing the object model helps to explain hierarchical XML data structure.