objectsto

Objectsto is a conceptual framework and lightweight library designed to model directed relationships between objects in object-oriented systems. It formalizes how one object points to another through a to relation, enabling explicit graph-based modeling without forcing changes to object types or inheritance.

At its core, Objectsto treats each object as a node and each relationship as a labeled edge. The labeling allows multiple, distinct relation types between the same pair of objects (for example ownership, dependency, or containment). A key design goal is non-intrusiveness: objects do not need to inherit from a common base, and the relationship graph is maintained separately from the objects themselves.

Typical features include a node registry, edge creation and deletion operations, traversal and query utilities, and serialization support for persistence (JSON, YAML, or XML). It supports cycles, different reference strengths, and hooks for events when relationships are created or removed. Many implementations provide language-specific adapters to integrate with existing object models.

Common use cases involve software architecture modeling, data provenance and lineage, UI component trees, and dependency tracking. By exposing navigable relationships, Objectsto helps engineers understand object interdependencies, reason about changes, and perform impact analysis.

The term Objectsto has appeared in several language ports and design notes since its introduction as a lightweight alternative to heavier graph databases or ORM-based relationship mapping. There is no single standard implementation, and practical usage varies across ecosystems.