Re: object relational database versus "inteligent" serialization
luc peuvrier wrote:
Yes, it seems stupid to write a library whithout knowing existing
solutions ! in fact, yes, it is stupid, but not stupid to write
joafip, joafip is not an ORM, it is an object persistence in a file
library.
"ORM" is a means to the same end that joafip seeks. That joafip is not an ORM
is not relevant. That it and ORM both handle persistence of an object model
is relevant. Thus, joafip has to compete with ORM solutions, among others.
AHS said:
If you have used either or both persistence providers,
why exactly were they so deficient? I'm curious.
Luc:
This is a good question: why for develop joafip ?
Because the problem it been ask me to solve was:
- do not use the database of the application because too much busy to
integrate data.
Who or what was too busy? People or machines?
Modern ORM solutions can provide no-effort persistence for the types of simple
problems joafip purports to handle. Discounting the effort of creating a
custom solution like joafip, the two seem not to differ much in that regard.
- cache the data model in a file
Why a file? How is that better than in a database?
I can certainly see how it'd be better to "cache" the data in a database than
a file, but the argument the other way eludes me.
- avoid spend execution time in ORM mechanic
That means you measured how much execution time is spent "in ORM mechanic[s]"
and in your persistence solution, and you have hard numbers as to the advantage.
What are they?
And the data entity to store is quite complex at relational object
point of view.
Could you explain that in more detail? Using JPA, the storage is only complex
if the entity model is complex. For the most part, the JPA framework can
deliver the data model to back the object model without programmer effort.
Where does that mechanism break down? How does joafip do it better?
Based on the sample code on the project site, the joafip version of code is no
less complex than an equivalent JPA solution would be.
joafip concept is simple: a serialization in file that only write
changes and use lazy load to avoid reload all in memory.
Again, that's no different from what existing, mature solutions do.
AHS said:
Or what about iBatis, which I'm personally quite fond of?
Point being, and this is just my opinion, you shouldn't
waste your time solving nonexistent problems.
Luc:
because iBatis is an ORM front of a database.
the problem to solve exist.
That does not follow. You are assuming your conclusion, that an ORM in front
of a database is a problem. It is not.
--
Lew