A Declarative Semantics for Behavioral Inheritance and Conflict Resolution
Hasan M. Jamil, Laks V. S. Lakshmanan · The MIT Press eBooks · 1995
We propose a novel semantics for object-oriented deductive databases in the direction of F-logic to logically account for behavioral inheritance, conflict resolution in multiple inheritance hierarchies, and overriding. We introduce the ideas of withdrawal, locality, and inheritability of properties (i.e., methods and signatures). Exploiting these ideas, we develop a declarative semantics of behavioral inheritance and overriding without having to resort to non-monotonic reasoning. Conflict resolution in our model can be achieved both via specification and by detection. The possibility of specification based conflict resolution through withdrawal allows users to define inheritance preference. We present a formal account of the semantics of our language by defining a model theory, proof theory and a fixpoint theory. We also show that the different characterizations of our language are equivalent. Key Words: object-orientation, behavioral inheritance, overriding, conflict resolution, ded...