The history of how storage and retrieval systems have evolved -- from flat file databases to object-oriented database management systems -- is important for designers of object-oriented wireless systems, especially when development funds are tight. Knowing how various models on the evolutionary path store and retrieve complex data can keep developers from trudging into a dead end, thereby increasing their design productivity relative to costs. This article highlights the evolving storage/retrieval systems and presents a conceptual tour through a hierarchical structure of database objects, illuminating the basics of the wireless model and predicting the coming object-oriented attractions.