Graph-based languages in dbms
Marc Gemis, Jan Paredaens · 1996
We describe a number of graph-based models for the representation of database schemas and instances. We give a number of languages to describe graph manipulation. Those graph manipulations are interpreted as database operations. The proposed languages have directed, labeled graphs as operations. The operations are based on pattern matching, which means that they are set-directed, which is needed to easily express database manipulations. The operations has to be simple, but the programs should be able to express a wide range of queries, such that both novice and advanced users can use the language. The languages and the model, which has some object-oriented features, can be translated to relational database model, which allowed us to build an interface for a graph-based language upon a relational database system. The graph-based character of the model and the languages allowed us to treat both uniformly in a data dictionary. The data dictionary can be queries and manipulated by the language itself. This makes it possible to maintain large collection of schemas, programs and queries using database techniques.