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QOF

QOF, the Query Object Framework, provides a set of C Language utilities for performing generic structured complex queries on a set of data held by a set of C/C++ objects. This framework is unique in that it does NOT require SQL or any database at all to perform the query. Thus, it allows programmers to add query support to their applications without having to hook into an SQL Database.

Typically, if you have an app, and you want to add the ability to show a set of reports, you will need the ability to perform queries in order to get the data you need to show a report. Of course, you can always write a set of ad-hoc subroutines to return the data that you need. But this kind of a programming style is not extensible: just wait till you get a user who wants a slightly different report.

The idea behind QOF is to provide a generic framework so that any query can be executed, including queries designed by the end-user. Normally, this is possible only if you use a database that supports SQL, and then only if you deeply embed the database into your application. QOF provides simpler, more natural way to work with objects.