A comparative study of Object-Oriented databases and terminological knowledge bases

Database technology is constantly evolving not only toward more efficient data management techniques but also toward more expressive conceptual models. In particular, Object-Oriented databases have evolved to the point that the expressive gap with respect to knowledge representation systems has been filled. In the paper, we present the Object-Oriented data language OOL with the intention of assessing its adequacy in supporting AI applications. To this end we compare OOL with FL, a typical knowledge representation language designed for AI applications. The comparison is carried out along two lines: the expressive power and the computational complexity of subsumption. The results show that the Object-Oriented data language OOL can be considered a first class citizen among the Frame Definition Languages.