Type Constructor in DBMS: Quiz and Flashcards

Study Notes

Type Constructors define and create types or classes within an OODB, specifying how objects of a particular type should be constructed, including their attributes and methods.
They play a crucial role in the schema definition of the database, ensuring consistency and structure across instances of the same type.
Type Constructors support features such as inheritance, allowing for the creation of new types based on existing ones.

Type Constructors define the structure of objects, including attributes and methods.
Example: A Type Constructor might be used to define a "Person" class with attributes such as name, age, and address.

Type Constructors allow the specification of attributes associated with a class.
Attributes represent the data members or properties of an object.

Type Constructors can include the declaration of methods that define the behavior of objects belonging to a particular class.
Example: A Type Constructor might declare methods like "getAge()" or "updateAddress()".

Type Constructors often support the concept of inheritance, allowing the creation of new classes based on existing ones.
Example: A Type Constructor could enable the creation of a "Student" class that inherits attributes and methods from the "Person" class.
Inheritance promotes code reuse and hierarchical structuring of classes.

Type Constructors contribute to encapsulation, a fundamental principle of object-oriented programming.
They define the visibility and accessibility of attributes and methods, supporting the concept of private and public members.
Example: A Type Constructor might specify that the "age" attribute is private, accessible only through getter and setter methods.

Some Type Constructors support polymorphism, allowing objects of different classes to be treated as objects of a common base class.
Polymorphism enhances flexibility and enables more generic code.

Type Hierarchies represent the relationships between types in the database schema, often organized in a hierarchical structure.
Inheritance is a key mechanism in which subtypes inherit attributes and behaviors from supertypes.
Type Hierarchies and Inheritance organize types in a hierarchical structure and enable the reuse of attributes and behaviors through inheritance.
Example: In an employee database, a type hierarchy with a Person supertype and Employee and Manager subtypes might be used, where Employee and Manager inherit attributes and methods from Person.

Type Constructor in Object-Oriented Database