BinaryRelations provides a new way to develop any application program that must store its objects on file.
Until recently, most tools for object persistence were based on record structures: fixed sequences of fields conforming to static descriptions. Records provide an excellent tool to process information that fits a certain pattern, but other kinds of information do not fit as well into record structures. Some information cannot be presented in records. Other information can be presented in many ways.
BinaryRelations lets you get around all that. In BinaryRelations the type system is very simple and powerful. Objects' types are divided into base types and abstract types. Base types are those, like int, char, float and others that are implemented in a language such as C. Abstract types generally correspond to what are often known as ADT. Abstract types do not have a fixed layout like C structures or C++ classes. Instances of an abstract type may contain null fields. In addition, abstract types that are part of an inheritance hierarchy may have different fields than other members of the same inheritance hierarchy. Therefore, one can operate on such types through access functions (binary relations). You can "navigate" from objects to objects using binary relations as well as to "look inside" abstract objects.
BinaryRelations is designed for application developers. If your information cannot be easy and clearly presented in C structures or C++ classes, BinaryRelations will help you. If you need powerful object's linkage and navigation, BinaryRelations will do it. You can use BinaryRelations also as "linker and navigator" for traditional tools for object persistence. Using BinaryRelations you will reduce application development time and have far less code to maintain.
BinaryRelations is a small, fast and reliable engine. It is portable. Its file format is also portable across processors.
Because BinaryRelations uses some new techniques, this pages includes some explanatory material.
BinaryRelations Approach introduces the basic
principals.
Using BinaryRelations gives greater detail on
the elements of BinaryRealtions for C itself.
BinaryRelations Reference gives reference
material on BinaryRelations for C types, functions and constants.
Using BinaryRelations Classes gives greater
detail on the elements of BinaryRealtions for C++.
BinaryRelations Classes Reference gives
reference material on BinaryRelations for C++ classes.
If you are interested in you can download:
brl11_tar.gz BinaryRelations 1.1