Engineering Databases Supporting Dynamic Extensibility and Partial Integrity

此建议用于正式指定并实现一个模块化的、可扩展的后端工程数据库，该数据库支持一组开放式应用程序之间的数据转换。数据模型及其原型实现的独特之处在于：(1)动态可扩展性，允许在整个设计过程中以及后来的整个产品生命周期中添加新的应用程序，并期望新的应用程序接口可以由用户而不是数据库管理员实现；(2)以部分完整性的显式监控和管理的形式支持设计的迭代性质；(3)针对工程设计需求定制的更丰富的数据模型；减少当前高级CAD系统功能与当前数据库之间的阻抗不匹配。(4)应用程序之间的新转换模型，它不依赖于中性文件方法，而是将转换视为类型网络上的一组转换。支持这些功能的概念将被开发和形式化。原型实现将是通用的，支持各种工程设计领域。在数据库上进行测试的应用程序将从土木和机械工程设计研究文献中提取。原型实现将被开发为易于携带，并提供给其他研究小组。

This proposal is for work to formally specify and then implement a modular, extensible backend engineering database supporting data translation between an open-ended set of applications. The unique features of the data model and its prototype implementation are: (1) dynamic extensibility, allowing new applications to be added throughout the process of design, and later throughout the product life cycle, with expectations that new applications interfaces can be implemented by users, not database administrators, (2) support for the iterative nature of design, in the form of explicit monitoring and management of partial integrity, (3) a richer data model tailored to the needs of engineering design, reducing the impedance mismatch between the current functionality of advanced CAD systems and current databases. (4) a new model of translation between applications, that does not rely on a neutral file approach, but rather treats translation as a set of transformations over a type network. The concepts supporting these capabilities will be developed and formalized. The prototype implementation will be general, supporting a variety of engineering design areas. Applications to be tested on top of the database will be drawn from civil and mechanical engineering design research literature. The prototype implementation will be developed to be easily portable, and made available to other research groups.