In this paper, we compare several methods for implementing a VHDL design database through a case study on VHDL tool development system. We implemented three versions of the VHDL design database which the VHDL tool development system is based on. The first version was coded in the C programming language following value-oriented paradigm. The second one was coded in the C++ programming language following object-oriented paradigm. The third one was implemented using an existing object-oriented database. Based on our experience, we present quantitatively the pros and cons of each implementation method. The value-oriented version was most difficult to implement but showed good performance. Compared to the value- oriented version, the C++ version was twice as easy to implement and showed about the same performance. Using an existing object-oriented database allowed easiest implementation but resulted in a 1.5 to 6 times slower version.