Relational data bases in the design of program construction systems

A methodology for designing and implementing program construction systems using relational data bases is presented. Relations are the only data structures used by them and in the definition of interfaces between subsystems. A special-purpose relational database manager (RDB) has been designed for this application.Two large projects using this approach are described. ART (Ada-Relational-Translator) is an experimental compiler-interpreter for ADA in which all subsystems, including parser, semantic analyzer, interpreter and kernel, use relations as their only data structure; the relational approach has been pushed to the upmost to achieve fast prototyping. MML (Multi-Micro Line) is a tool-set for constructing program programs for multi-microprocessors targets, in which relations are used for allocation and configuration control. Both experiences confirm the validity of the approach for managing team work in evolving projects.