RootDB Object Database
RQL Root Query Language
The Pioneer of True Object Databases.
N E W S
8.3.2025
The new client-server proxy model (proxy model) enables efficient distribution of database queries across a network of computers, significantly reducing the query-related workload on the application server (or web server). By executing IDatabase query methods on a remote database server, this model enhances scalability, improves system responsiveness, and optimizes resource utilization. This approach ensures high-performance database operations while freeing the application server to handle more client requests efficiently.
21.1.2025
The required IDatabase interface has now been implemented for PostgreSQL and MySQL databases, making them fully supported storage platforms for RootDB/RQL database objects.
Initial benchmark tests indicate that PostgreSQL is a highly promising platform, demonstrating superior performance compared to MariaDB when working with indexed databases. PostgreSQL particularly excels in writing objects to a database where relationships are also indexed. However, MariaDB is notably more efficient for database searches when indexing is not applied
MariaDB's performance has also been compared to MySQL (Community Edition), with results indicating that MariaDB is often significantly more efficient in both writing objects to the database and retrieving them through queries.
A detailed comparison of PostgreSQL vs. MariaDB performance results can be viewed at link PostgreSQL vs. MariaDB.
A detailed comparison of MySQL vs. MariaDB performance results can be viewed at link MySQL vs. MariaDB.
N E W
- Various Models for Connecting to Databases via the IDatabase Interface
Efficiently Distributing Database Queries Across One or More Servers - Performance Benchmarking on Many-to-Many (M:N) Relationships with Variations in Indexing and Sizes of Object Databases
Performance Comparison: PostgreSQL vs. MariaDB - Performance Benchmarking on Many-to-Many (M:N) Relationships with Variations in Indexing and Sizes of Object Databases: Performance Comparison: MySQL vs. MariaDB
- Performance Benchmarking on Many-to-Many (M:N) Relationships with Variations in Indexing and Sizes of Object Databases
Benchmark with Ryzen 9 9950X 16-Core Processor (4.30 GHz) - Comparing a Basic OOP Query to the New Category of Queries
Automatic Resolving of Objects Provides Enhanced Flexibility in Searching Complex Data Structures
RootDB and RQL are designed to work with all types of databases, including non-relational databases, making them highly versatile and not restricted to traditional relational systems.
To validate and demonstrate these capabilities, implementations have been developed for three relational databases and a key-value store, the latter of which lacks SQL support and operates without a predefined schema.
Currently, the four supported databases with IDatabase implementations are:
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MariaDB – A relational database that uses the SQL command language.
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PostgreSQL – A relational database that uses the SQL command language.
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MySQL – A relational database that uses the SQL command language.
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Xodus – A key-value store that operates without a predefined database schema.
To add support for a new database product, simply implement the IDatabase interface.
B A C K G R O U N D
The Object Data Management Group (ODMG) completed its work on object data management standards in 2001 and was disbanded.
While the ODMG group may not have explicitly acknowledged their failure to solve the problems of object databases, the historical context and the challenges faced, particularly in terms of schema maintenance and query language, strongly suggest that these technical difficulties played a significant role in the group's disbandment.
Object databases were desired about a quarter of a century ago, but the software technology and capabilities needed to tackle such a demanding problem were not yet sufficiently developed. This complex challenge has been the focus of deep research in the RootDB/RQL project, which persisted without giving up until reaching the point where it is now possible to declare the mission accomplished.
RootDB and RQL offer an Object Oriented Programming (OOP) system for creating and modifying object databases, storing objects, manipulating data structures, and querying objects.
RootDB with RQL replaces the SQL command language in all tasks related to database programming and usage.
RootDB and RQL provide uniquely advanced data management features, having excellent and predictable query performance compared to relational databases and SQL.
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The production use of RootDB databases provide significant added value, as improved performance is achieved automatically.
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Users benefit from faster interactions and responses within applications that utilize RootDB databases.
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Even in scenarios where other databases may become unresponsive under heavy load or due to overly complex queries, RootDB consistently delivers results with remarkable efficiency and reliable execution times.
Database programming costs are enormously reduced (up to 90% or more) in both development and maintenance.
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Java classes (POJOs) are used to define an object model that specifies the structure of the object database (schema).
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Object database operations are programmed with RQL, which utilizes the same Object Oriented Programming (OOP) concepts as Java.
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RootDB is designed from the ground up to support inheritance, hierarchies, recursion, and cycles in even the most complex data structures
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Unlike traditional databases, RootDB's architecture is specifically designed to support nested and tree-like data models, making it an ideal choice for applications requiring complex object networks or hierarchical object models.
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Programmers do not need to interact with the actual database schema (never needed), as everything in programming adheres to Object Oriented Programming (OOP) concepts.
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RQL includes ALTER commands (similar to SQL's ALTER, CREATE, and DROP commands) that, for the first time in the history of object databases, can be used to modify object models according to OOP concepts. These commands alter the database schema, which includes the Java classes of the object model, and the database content is automatically updated to reflect these changes.
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Entire object structures can be inserted, updated, or deleted with a single line of code - no matter how complex. A data structure retrieved from the database can be freely modified and then updated using just its root object. Such operations have traditionally been tedious to implement in SQL-based systems.
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For the first time, the database features a full-fledged Garbage Collector (GC) that automatically removes all unnecessary objects. This provides complete freedom to modify object data structures, as the GC cleans up any objects no longer included in the data structures.
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The new features of RootDB and RQL make database programming significantly simpler and more efficient, even for very complex object models. Additionally, the resulting object database offers superior search efficiency compared to other current databases, including relational databases.
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Based on these benefits, it is reasonable to claim that all database-related costs will be reduced by 90% or more.
RootDB and RQL offer enormous potential for modernizing existing data management systems, the benefits of which are summarized below.
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The conceptual level of database programming is raised to align with modern Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) languages.
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RQL replaces SQL for programming applications that use databases.
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Database ALTER commands in SQL are elevated from schema-level operations to high-level object model modification commands in RQL.
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RQL revolutionizes database searches by introducing a new category of queries that efficiently resolve the data structures of search results.
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The RQL query language natively supports object-oriented principles, including iheritance and recursion in both queries and result objects, while delivering exceptional performance. This makes RootDB and RQL the ideal choice for developing modern database applications.
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RQL queries require no optimization, even for the most complex queries, representing a significant improvement over SQL, which often requires optimization tailored to each database product.
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Good query performance is now achievable even without any indexing in the database.
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Complex queries are intuitive to write and read, with good to excellent performance - depending on the indexing strategy - guaranteed without the risk of stalling.
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Current database products will become obsolete without adopting RootDB and RQL, as they are costly to program and deliver poor performance.
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Object databases have historically lacked widely accepted standards, largely due to the difficulty of defining them without concrete implementations. RootDB and RQL now offer a solid foundation for developing standards in this field.
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After dominating for over 50 years, relational databases and SQL can now take on a new, less problematic role in databases and data management.
FYI:
The content presented on this site covers only a fraction of the features, methods, and capabilities that RootDB and RQL offer for data management and databases.
This is because:
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RootDB and RQL are not intended to be open source, despite being developed in Finland, a country with a strong tradition of open source databases.
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However, we welcome any comments or constructive criticism regarding the content presented on these pages. You can find the email address in the footer.
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In the end, it's clear that databases urgently require a new, far more efficient solution than the ones currently available.
Discover What We Offer
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RootDB and RQL are much more than just a proof of concept. They provide fully developed, out-of-the-box database and data management solutions that can be applied to a wide range of existing commercial and open-source databases.
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Any database product implementing RootDB with RQL will be superior in both concept and performance compared to its current capabilities
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If your company has the interest and resources to successfully bring this technology to market, please contact us.
A brief list of technical features can be found in the link An Object Database that Challenges Relational Databases (RDBMS), ORM, Graph Databases, and More
Table of Contents
- FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Creating and Altering RootDB Databases
Based Completely on Object Oriented Programming (OOP) - Inserting, Updating and Deleting Objects
Garbage Collector (GC) Automatically Removes Unused Objects - Query with Inheritance and Recursion
A Completely New Query Category that Efficiently Resolves the Data Structures of Search Results - RootDB, Technical Features
An Object Database that Challenges Relational Databases (RDBMS), ORM, Graph Databases, and More - Grouping with Parentheses and Repeating Field Names in Recursive Queries
RQL Provides OOP Notation and Automatically Resolves Recursion for Object Queries - Performance Comparison Many-to-Many (M:N) Relationships with Indexing
Benchmarking RQL and SQL Query Languages with MariaDB and Xodus Databases - Performance Comparison Many-to-Many (M:N) Relationships without Indexing
Benchmarking RQL and SQL Query Languages with MariaDB and Xodus Databases - Performance Benchmarking on Many-to-Many (M:N) Relationships with Variations in Indexing and Sizes of Object Databases
Performance Comparison with Multiple Query Conditions in an Object Hierarchy -
Performance Benchmarking on Queries of a New Category with Variations in Indexing and Object Database Sizes
Performance Comparison with Multiple Query Conditions in an Object Hierarchy - Performance Benchmarking on Many-to-Many (M:N) Relationships with Variations in Indexing and Sizes of Object Databases: Performance Comparison: MySQL vs. MariaDB
- Performance Benchmarking on Many-to-Many (M:N) Relationships with Variations in Indexing and Sizes of Object Databases
Performance Comparison: PostgreSQL vs. MariaDB - Various Models for Connecting to Databases via the IDatabase Interface
Efficiently Distributing Database Queries Across One or More Servers - Using Query Variables (Qn) in Query Expressions
An Efficient Method for Dividing Queries into Smaller Parts - Comparing a Basic OOP Query to the New Category of Queries
Automatic Resolving of Objects Provides Enhanced Flexibility in Searching Complex Data Structures - Queries Based on Object Oriented Programming (OOP)
RQL: The First Full-Fledged Query-By-Language (QBL) Implementation with OOP Notation and Recursion for Object Queries - Query Parameters
Typed Query Parameters - Resolving Cycles
The Object Model Can Include Cycles With or Without Direct Recursion
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