Final answer:
To map an EER schema to an ODB schema, convert entities to classes, relationships to associations, attributes to class properties, and translate generalization and specialization structures to superclass-subclass relationships while ensuring referential integrity and methods are properly defined.
Step-by-step explanation:
To map an Extended Entity Relationship (EER) schema to an Object Database (ODB) schema, you must translate the high-level conceptual design of the EER into the more detailed level required by an ODB. The process involves converting entities to classes, relationships to associations, and attributes to class properties. You may also need to deal with inheritance hierarchies present in the EER by creating superclass and subclass structures in the ODB schema.
Each entity in the EER diagram will typically become a class in the ODB schema. Identifiers (primary keys) in the EER become object identifiers in the ODB. Relationships in the EER, particularly many-to-many relationships, need careful handling; they can be embedded as lists of references within the classes or as separate classes if additional attributes are present. Attributes are transferred directly, but composite attributes may need to be represented as structured types or separate classes.
Inheritance is usually directly supported in ODB systems. Therefore, the generalization and specialization structures found in the EER schema can be mapped directly to superclass-subclass relationships in the ODB schema. When mapping is complete, referential integrity constraints and methods must also be defined in the ODB to ensure the database operates correctly. This answer in 200 words outlines the basic steps for mapping between EER and ODB schemas, a crucial task for converting conceptual database designs into operational databases.