Interfaces to Database Systems (IDS92)


Book Description

Despite the volume of research carried out into the design of database systems and the design of user interfaces, there is little cross-fertilization between the two areas. The control of user interfaces to database systems is, therefore, significantly less advanced than other aspects of DBMS design. As database functionality is used in a wider range of areas, such as design applications, the suitability of the user interface is becoming increasingly important. It is, therefore, necessary to begin applying the knowledge developed by HCI researchers to the specialised domain of database systems. This volume contains revised papers from the International Workshop on Interfaces to Database Systems, held in Glasgow, 1-3 July 1992. The workshop aimed to develop an interaction between the design of database systems and user interfaces. It discussed both the production of interfaces tailored to particular applications, and also more general systems within which interfaces can be developed. Some of the papers concentrate on usability aspects, some discuss different interface metaphors, whilst others tackle the question of designing a general conceptual model. The latter topic is of particular importance, as it is only by achieving an abstract model of what the user understands to be in the database that the data can be associated with appropriate interface facilities. Among the contents of the volume are: integrated interfaces to publicly available databases; database query interface for medical information systems; an integrated approach to task oriented database retrieval interfaces; GRADI: a graphical database interface for a multimedia DBMS; cognitive view mechanism for multimedia information systems; a graphical schema representation for object oriented databases; a conceptual framework for error analysis in SQL interfaces; a browser for a version entity relationship database. Interfaces to Database Systems (IDS92) is unique in that it brings together a variety of approaches from the database and HCI research communities. It will provide essential reading for researchers of database systems and also industrial developers of DBMS.




Interfaces to Database Systems (IDS94)


Book Description

A brief survey of the major DBMS and HeI conference proceedings over the past 10 years will reveal isolated pockets of research in database user interfaces but little sense of being swept along with the general advances in DBMS technology and Hel. New data models have evolved to meet the needs of different application domains; persistent programming languages are blurring the traditional distinction between data definition and application programming languages; distribution and inter-operability have become issues as have the storage of heterogeneous media types; yet it is still rare to read of the HeI issues raised by these technological innovations being expressly addressed and rarer still to find recognition of the usability problems with longer-established database technologies. There are at least two reasons why this should be surprising: • Database systems are not like other computer systems; existing both as back-ends to other applications and as stand-alone data stores, they are typically slow, deal with very large volumes of data and can involve all sorts of security, confidentiality and even cooperability issues. • Databases are everywhere. Perhaps only word processors and spread sheets are more widespread. In addition, as business cultures change and personal computing continues to mould expectations, end-users find themselves interacting increasingly closely with database systems.




Rules in Database Systems


Book Description

This book is the proceedings of a workshop held at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh in August 1993. The central theme of the workshop was rules in database systems, and the papers presented covered a range of different aspects of database rule systems. These aspects are reflected in the sessions of the workshop, which are the same as the sections in this proceedings: Active Databases Architectures Incorporating Temporal Rules Rules and Transactions Analysis and Debugging of Active Rules Integrating Graphs/Objects with Deduction Integrating Deductive and Active Rules Integrity Constraints Deductive Databases The incorporation of rules into database systems is an important area of research, as it is a major component in the integration of behavioural information with the structural data with which commercial databases have traditionally been associated. This integration of the behavioural aspects of an application with the data to which it applies in database systems leads to more straightforward application development and more efficient processing of data. Many novel applications seem to need database systems in which structural and behavioural information are fully integrated. Rules are only one means of expressing behavioural information, but it is clear that different types of rule can be used to capture directly different properties of an application which are cumbersome to support using conventional database architectures. In recent years there has been a surge of research activity focusing upon active database systems, and this volume opens with a collection of papers devoted specifically to this topic.




Active and Real-Time Database Systems (ARTDB-95)


Book Description

The areas of active and real-time databases have seen a tremendous growth of interest in the past few years, particularly with regard to their support of time-critical and embedded applications. ARTDB-95 provided, therefore, an important forum for researchers from both communities to discuss research results, and also to chart new directions for the future. As well as the 11 submitted papers presented at the workshop, this volume also contains 4 invited papers on the following topics: the impact of active databases on commercial practice; the optimization of active database transactions; the need for better language, compiler and tool support for real-time databases; and the origin of time constraints associated with data, events and actions. Together the papers give a comprehensive overview of current research, and will provide invaluable reading for academic and industrial researchers and students at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.




Database Technologies: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications


Book Description

"This reference expands the field of database technologies through four-volumes of in-depth, advanced research articles from nearly 300 of the world's leading professionals"--Provided by publisher.




Selected Readings on Database Technologies and Applications


Book Description

"This book offers research articles focused on key issues concerning the development, design, and analysis of databases"--Provided by publisher.




Incompleteness and Uncertainty in Information Systems


Book Description

The Software Engineering and Knowledgebase Systems (SOFfEKS) Research Group of the Department of Computer Science, Concordia University, Canada, organized a workshop on Incompleteness and Uncertainty in Information Systems from October 8-9, 1993 in Montreal. A major aim of the workshop was to bring together researchers who share a concern for issues of incompleteness and uncertainty. The workshop attracted people doing fundamental research and industry oriented research in databases, software engineering and AI from North America, Europe and Asia. The workshop program featured six invited talks and twenty other presentations. The invited speakers were: Martin Feather (University of Southern CalifornialInformation Systems Institute) Laks V. S. Lakshmanan (Concordia University) Ewa Orlowska (Polish Academy of Sciences) z. Pawlak (Warsaw Technical University and Academy of Sciences) F. Sadri (Concordia University) A. Skowron (Warsaw University) The papers can be classified into four groups: rough sets and logic, concept analysis, databases and information retrieval, and software engineering. The workshop opened with a warm welcome speech from Dr. Dan Taddeo, Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science. The first day's presentations were in rough sets, databases and information retrieval. Papers given on the second day centered around software engineering and concept analysis. Sufficient time was given in between presentations to promote active interactions and numerous lively discussions. At the end of two days, the participants expressed their hope that this workshop would be continued.




Visual Languages for Interactive Computing


Book Description

Presents problems and methodologies related to the syntax, semantics, and ambiguities of visual languages. Defines and formalizes visual languages for interactive computing, as well as visual notation interpretation.




Symbolic Projection for Image Information Retrieval and Spatial Reasoning


Book Description

Information systems with an abundance of graphics data are growing rapidly due to advances in data storage technology, the development of multimedia communications across networks, and the fact that parallel computers are leading to faster image processing systems. This book addresses image information retrieval and spatial reasoning using an approach called Symbolic Projection, which supports descriptions of the image content on the basis of the spatial relationships between the pictorial objects. Image information systems have a wide variety of applications, including information retrieval on the World Wide Web, medical pictorial archiving, computer-aided design, robotics, and geographical information systems, and this book is comprehensively illustrated with examples from these areas. Symbolic Projection now forms the basis of an enormous number and range of information retrieval algorithms, and also supports query-by-picture and qualitative spatial reasoning. Both authors are international experts in the field, and the book will serve as an excellent source for those working in multimedia systems and image information systems who wish to find out more about this exciting area. - An all-inclusive source to the field--all you need to know - S-K. Chang is the leading authority in this field, which he pioneered - Includes a wide variety of applications, including information retrieval on the World Wide Web, computer-aided design, and geographical information systems




Functional Programming, Glasgow 1993


Book Description

The Functional Programming Group at the University of Glasgow was started in 1986 by John Hughes and Mary Sheeran. Since then it has grown in size and strength, becoming one of the largest computing science research groups at Glasgow and earning an international reputation. The first Glasgow Functional Programming Workshop was organised in the summer of 1988. Its purpose was threefold: to provide a snapshot of all the research going on within the group, to share research ideas between Glaswegians and colleagues in the U.K. and abroad, and to introduce research students to the art of writing and presenting papers at a semi-formal (but still local and friendly) conference. The success of the first workshop has led to an annual series: Rothesay (1988), Fraserburgh (1989), Ullapool (1990). Portree (1991), Ayr (1992), and the workshop reported in these proceedings: Ayr (1993). Most participants wrote a paper that appeared in the draft proceedings (distributed at the workshop), and each draft paper was presented by one of the authors. The papers were all refereed by several other participants at the workshop, both internal and external, and the programme committee selected papers for these proceedings. Most papers have been revised twice, based firstly on feedback at the workshop, and secondly using the referee reports.