Editing Object–relational mapping (section)

==Object-oriented databases==
Another approach is to use an [[object database|object-oriented database management system]] (OODBMS) or [[document-oriented database]]s such as native [[XML database]]s that provide more flexibility in data modeling.  OODBMSs are databases designed specifically for working with object-oriented values. Using an OODBMS eliminates the need for converting data to and from its SQL form, as the data is stored in its original object representation and relationships are directly represented, rather than requiring [[junction table|join tables]]/operations. The equivalent of ORMs for [[document-oriented database]]s are called object-document mappers (ODMs).

Document-oriented databases also prevent the user from having to "shred" objects into table rows.  Many of these systems also support the [[XQuery]] query language to retrieve datasets.

Object-oriented databases tend to be used in complex, niche applications. One of the arguments against using an OODBMS is that it may not be able to execute ad-hoc, application-independent queries.{{Citation needed|date=September 2013}} For this reason, many programmers find themselves more at home with an object-SQL mapping system, even though most object-oriented databases are able to process SQL queries to a limited extent. Other OODBMS provide replication to SQL databases, as a means of addressing the need for ad-hoc queries, while preserving well-known query patterns.{{Citation needed|date=September 2018}}