Relational views as a model for automatic distributed implementation of multi-user applications

Multi-user applications support multiple users performing a related task in a distributed context. This paper describes Weasel, a system for implementing multi-user applications. Weasel is based on the relational view model, in which user interfaces are specified as relations between program data structures and views on a display. These relations are specified in RVL, a high-level, declarative language. Under this model, an application program and a set of RVL specifications are used to generate a multi-user application in which all issues of network communication, concurrency, synchronization, and view customization are handled automatically. These programs have a scalable distribution property, where adding new participants to a session does not greatly degrade over-all system performance. Weasel has been implemented, and was used to generate all examples in this paper. CR Categories: D.2.2 (Software Tools and Techniques for User Interfaces); D.1.1 (Applicative Programming); D.3.4 (Compilers and Runtime Environments) General Terms: Human Factors, Languages Additional

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