SGER: An Exploration of the Presentation Data Model

这个高风险、高回报的项目试图通过引入新的表示数据模型，使数据库管理系统比现在更可用。传统上，数据库管理系统有两个概念层——包含实际实现的物理层和包含将数据库正式分解为表、行、约束等的逻辑层。用户与逻辑层交互，并且不受物理层实现细节的影响。这个项目在传统逻辑层之上引入了一个新的表示层。用户与这个表示层交互，并且不受逻辑层细节（如关系分解和连接）的影响。通过这种方式，消除了与传统数据库系统交互的复杂性的根本原因。该项目既包括开发表示数据模型的理论基础，也包括构建一个通过三层表示垂直切片的原型系统。这个项目更广泛的影响在于，它有可能极大地改善数据库的使用方式，不仅是计算机科学家，还包括其他学科的研究人员和广大公众。该项目直接支持一名博士生的培训，并通过参与指导项目间接影响其他几名研究生和本科生的教育和培训。该项目的网站是http://www.eecs.umich.edu/db/usable

This high-risk, high-payoff project seeks to make database management systems much more usable than they are today, through the introduction of a new presentation data model. Traditionally, database management systems have had two conceptual layers -- a physical layer comprising the actual implementation and a logical layer comprising a formal decomposition of a database into tables, rows, constraints, etc. The user interacts with the logical layer, and is shielded from physical layer implementation details. This project introduces a new presentation layer above the traditional logical layer. The user interacts with this presentation layer, and is shielded from logical layer details such as relational decomposition and joins. Through this means the root cause underlying much of the complexity of interacting with traditional database systems is eliminated. This project includes work both to develop the theoretical underpinnings of the presentation data model as well as to construct a prototype system representing a vertical slice through the three layers.The broader impact of this project is in the potential for this project to greatly improve the way databases are used, not just by computer scientists but also by researchers in other disciplines and by the public at large. The project directly supports the training of one doctoral student, and indirectly impacts the education and training of several additional students, both graduate and undergraduate, through their participation in directed projects. The project web-site is http://www.eecs.umich.edu/db/usable