Dario Lucarella
Abstract
We present a graph-based object model that may be used as a uniform framework for direct manipulation of multimedia information. After an introduction motivating the need for abstraction and structuring mechanisms in hypermedia systems, we introduce the data model and the notion of perspective, a form of data abstraction that acts as a user interface to the system, providing control over the visibility of the objects and their properties. A perspective is defined to include an intension and an extension. The intension is defined in terms of a pattern, a subgraph of the schema graph, and the extension is the set of pattern-matching instances. Perspectives, as well as database schema and instances, are graph structures that can be manipulated in various ways. The resulting uniform approach is well suited to a visual interface. A visual interface for complex information systems provides high semantic power, thus exploiting the semantic expressibility of the underlying data model, while maintaining ease of interaction with the system. In this way, we reach the goal of decreasing cognitive load on the user, with the additional advantage of always maintaining the same interaction style. We present a visual retrieval environment that effectively combines filtering, browsing, and navigation to provide an integrated view of the retrieval problem. Design and implementation issues are outlined for MORE (Multimedia Object Retrieval Environment), a prototype system relying on the proposed model. The focus is on the main user interface functionalities, and actual interaction sessions are presented including schema creation, information loading, and information retrieval.
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Index Terms
- A visual retrieval environment for hypermedia information systems
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Reviews
Lynda Hardman
The authors present a graph-based object model of a database that can be directly manipulated for specifying and retrieving information from the database. In other words, a user can explore, manipulate, and select parts of the conceptual schema graph. Parts of this graph selected through the use of perspectives can be combined with other parts to form a more complex query. The result of this query is the selection of a number of multimedia objects satisfying the query. Specifically, the paper describes both the underlying theory and the design and implementation of the Multimedia Object Retrieval Environment (MORE) system, illustrating the approach. The paper is robust and well founded, including references to work in the semantic database and hypertext fields. It presents a useful way of interacting with large databases of information.
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