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# Object-Relational Descriptors

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The object-relational paradigm extends traditional relational databases to include object-oriented functions. Oracle, IBM DB2, Informix, and other DBMS databases allow users to store, access, and use complex data in more sophisticated ways.The object-relational standard is an evolving standard concerned mainly with extending the database data structures and SQL (SQL 3).

Object-relational descriptors describe Java objects that you map to special relational database types that correspond more closely to object types. Using these special object-relational database types can simplify mapping objects to relational database tables. Not all relational databases support these special object-relational database types.

Using object-relational descriptors in a relational project, you can configure object-relational mappings to these special object-relational database data types (see "Object-Relational Mapping Types").

For more information, see the following:

- "Creating an Object-Relational Descriptor"

- Configuring an Object-Relational Descriptor