The management of data has seen a shift from the conventional use of relational database management systems and other models to cater to the complexities. The first is the Object-Oriented Database Management System that tries to incorporate object orientation and database systems. A classification of the object-oriented databases is made along with consideration of their fundamental notions, characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and usage prospects.

What is an object-oriented database?

Object-oriented databases (OODB) are modified forms of traditional databases where data is in the structures of objects as in object-oriented languages such as Java, C++, or Python. OODBs differ from relational databases that use tables to organize data as objects and their methods, where potentially every data item can have an associated set of procedures. 

Key Concepts of Object-Oriented Databases

1. Objects

In OODBs, an object is an abstraction of a real-world entity, along with its attributes and actions. For instance, the schema of an object named ‘Customer’ encapsulates the data members, such as name, address, and contact number; we can also define methods that can be used to update the data members, like name, address, and contact number.

2. Classes

In classes, objects are defined as blueprints, as classes define a series of attributes and methods that are to be implemented by objects of the class. For instance, a ‘Vehicle’ class may have properties such as make, model, and year and behaviors such as start and stop.

3. Inheritance

Polymorphism lets a child class inherit features of a parent class, which reduces the length of code. For instance, a class ‘Car’ can be derived from the given ‘Vehicle’ class with new attributes, such as the number_of_doors.

4. Encapsulation

This process involves grouping of variables together with functions that work on the variables and hiding some parts of the object. This makes the analysis accurate and the security of the data obtained enhanced.

5. Polymorphism

Polymorphism makes the objects of the subclasses able to be manipulated as objects of the superclass. For example, this allows one representation to be able to cover several forms with different underlying representations.

Measures of Object-Oriented Databases

1. Complex Data Representation

OODBs can apply complex data and relations directly; that is why there is no need to map them to relational tables as it is done in object-relational models. This is most helpful with applications that encounter complex data structures, as it effectively balances optimization for computation and memory.

2. Ease of use with Object Unknown Programming

Since OODBs are intended for use in existing object-oriented programming languages, situations that would create a high impedance mismatch for the application are avoided. 

3. Optimism of Inheritance and Polymorphism

OODBs do support and feature inheritance and polymorphism, which makes it easier to model data naturally and also to promote reuse of code.

4. Encapsulation of Operations

That is why methods connected with objects are deposited into the database, and operations are encapsulated, which indicates that the data are modified exclusively through the interface.

The above-mentioned points describe the following advantages of object-oriented databases:

1. Delineated Modeling Improvements

OODBs have the advantage of being able to model computer data structures and so are applicable in CAD, CASE, and multimedia.

2. Reduced Impedance Mismatch

The stated mapping between the database model and programming language model decreases impedance mismatch, enhancing development and maintenance.

3. Better Efficiency for Large Data

OODBs may be more beneficial for applications managing great amounts of data and their interactions, since in OODBs there is no need to perform joins and mappings that might be needed in the relational model.

4. Reusability and Extensibility

Inheritance and the use of polymorphism mean that data models may be reused, modified, and extended as needed in the application.

Potential/Specific Problems of Object-Oriented Databases

1. Lack of Standardization

OODBs do not incorporate a standard of their own, which, in contrast to the relational DBs, have a tendency to enforce a standard query language such as SQL.

2. Limited Adoption and Tooling

Still, the adoption of OODBs is restricted compared to the quantity of relational DBs, which means that there are fewer tools and resources for the support and development of OODBs.

3. Learning Curve

For instance, there is some evidence that object-oriented databases present users with some challenges that developers who have worked in relational databases might not be familiar with since they demand a different type of data modeling and querying.

Applications of Object-Oriented Databases

1. Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Engineering (CAE)

OODBs are ideal for CAD and CAE applications that deal with complex data structures and relationships, such as components of a mechanical assembly.

2. Multimedia Applications

Applications dealing with multimedia data, images, audio, and video benefit from OODBs' ability to deal with complex and unstructured data types.

3. Integration with Object-Oriented Programming

OODBs blend very well into object-oriented programming languages and also provide a consistent environment for the developers.

4. Real-Time Systems

Real-time systems, like telecommunication and process control, need OODBs due to the ability of the model that can describe complex, time-dependent data and relationships.

Object-Oriented Database Application Example

Let's use a simple example: class Person and its subclass Employee. In an OODB, we can put instances of these classes there directly.

• class Person:
• def init(self, name, address):
• ::contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Conclusion

Object-oriented databases represent a good-sized evolution in database control, bridging the distance between facts storage and modern-day programming practices. They excel in situations requiring complex facts modeling and item-oriented programming integration. However, their adoption needs to be carefully considered based totally on the specific needs and constraints of an assignment.