Specification of Database Applications in the TROLL Language

In the area of large database applications, i.e. complex interactive software systems with persistently stored information, suitable formalisms for specification are almost not present. Traditionally, the description of a database application consists of two parts, the database schema and a more or less formal description of the application functions. We present an object-oriented approach to integrate both aspects. A formal model is described that models objects as processes that can be observed through attributes. Based on this model, the language TROLL is introduced. It is a logical language for the abstract object-oriented description of information systems. Finally, we propose mechanisms for defining external views and for queries that fit in the framework.