A Java Environment for a Semantic Query Interface for Relational Databases

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A Java Environment for a Semantic Query Interface
for Relational Databases

• Sam Marcellus
• Dr. Ramon Lawrence
• Computer Science Dept
• University of Iowa

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Database Querying

• Structured Query Language (SQL)

Albums
SELECT Album Name FROM Albums WHERE ArtistBob
Dylan ORDER BY Album Name DESC
Album Name
Highway 61 Revisited
3
Unity

• Written by Dr. Ramon Lawrence and Dr. Ken Barker
• Uses semantic naming from a dictionary to
  automate SQL generation
• Querying is based on semantic names as opposed to
  database structure
• Written using Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC)

4
Unitys Graphical User Interface (GUI)

• Query fields are selected from the right-side
  tree
• The query is built on the left-side tree

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Overview

• Applications written using MFC are limited in
  compatibility across multiple platforms
• Unity needs to be ported to a more universal
  environment, such as Java
• A GUI that resembles Unity was created in the
  form of a Java Applet

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SELECT Album Name FROM Albums WHERE ArtistBob
Dylan ORDER BY Album Name DESC
Album Name
Highway 61 Revisited
8
Applet Structure
9
Conclusion

• GUI was written with modularity in mind
• Tree class is encapsulated
• Unity-JDBC Driver is currently being developed
• This GUI will be able integrated with a backend
  that handles the advanced Unity features

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Acknowledgments

• Dr. Lawrence
• Terry Mason
• The Decapitated Smurf