Visual Languages for Database Users

Graphs representing a description of a database can be used as the basis for various types of interfaces, with each interface suitable to a different type of database user. A forms administrator can manipulate the graph to create form templates that are used to display data from the database. Database Management System (DBMS) users can manipulate the graph directly to formulate DBMS requests. Graphs play an important role in an interface for novice DBMS users learning a traditional query language. Manipulating graphs is a powerful tool for database administrators in database design. This paper describes four interfaces that use entity relationship (E-R) graphs: Interface for forms administrators to create forms templates used to display data from the database; Interface of DBMS users to formulate requests by directly manipulating the E-R graph; Interface for novice users learning a traditional DBMS command language; Interface for database administrators to design databases.