Welcome to OpenMind

The OpenMind Object Repository is a database system for the flexible storage of complex objects and their relations.

Its main differentiating properties:

• simple and flexible object model with weak typisation
• relations between objects are like objects
• google-like search in all fields
• three-layer software architecture
• separation of data structure model and content

Simple object model

The two conceptual entities of the general object model are objects and relations.

Objects have a type and an arbitrary number of attributes. The objects type is mostly another attribute to facilitate the selection of possible attributes in a user interface. There is no inheritance between object types or enforcement of attributes (except in the user interface).

Attributes that do not apply can be omitted and additional attributes can be added at any later time.

Relations between objects

Relations relate two objects in a meaningful way.

Relations have a type and an arbitrary number of attributes. Relations have a direction.

Software architecture

OpenMind has a three to four layer architecture:

• user interface (e.g. Web, Desktop GUI, script UI)
• domain specific layer (e.g. ISMI model)
• repository layer (OpenMind)
• storage layer (e.g. SQL, file-based, Fedora(?))

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For a complete list of local wiki pages, see TitleIndex.