This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will investigate an approach to the creation of database applications that combines the convenience of user-friendly non-procedural interactive development with the rich programming power of an object-oriented database (OODB). Successful completion of this project will put more power in the hands of non-programmers without limiting the power available to programmers. Non-programmers will be able to develop their own simple applications and more easily tailor and enhance the more complex applications developed by programmers. All users will be able to develop applications more quickly and more reliably than is possible with currently available tools. Relational databases (RDBs) often include non-procedural tools such as schema designers, query-by-example, and report generators that can be used by relatively unsophisticated users to develop significant applications. Although OODBs are intrinsically more powerful and more naturally model many real world application domains, to date OODB application development has required considerable programming ability. The key idea that underlies our approach is to provide a seamless interface between non-procedural tools, like those available in RDBs, and a full general-purpose procedural programming language that when necessary (and only when necessary) can be used to write parts of an application. Persistent Data Systems' approach will be guided by a formal semantic model that will contribute to the design of an easy to learn and use development system that permits continuous incremental improvement to its set of tools.
