Serge Abiteboul
Abstract
A new, formally defined database model is introduced that combines fundamental principles of “semantic” database modeling in a coherent fashion. Using a graph-based formalism, the IFO model provides mechanisms for representing structured objects, and functional and ISA relationships between them. A number of fundamental results concerning semantic data modeling are obtained in the context of the IFO model. Notably, the types of object structure that can arise as a result of multiple uses of ISA relationships and object construction are described. Also, a natural, formal definition of update propagation is given, and it is shown that (under certain conditions) a correct update always exists.
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Index Terms
- IFO: a formal semantic database model
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Reviews
Elizabeth Ann Buschlen Unger
A new formal semantic database model is introduced in this paper. The model, IFO, is graph based. It uses types to represent objects and provides functional and ISA relationships to connect these objects. The authors provide a clear formal structure for the model and supply good, illustrative examples to aid comprehension. One of the most interesting aspects of the paper for those interested in semantic models is the manner in which the authors define update propagation in an IFO schema. This paper is extremely well written. The model appears to be very well founded and is a significant step forward in the development of semantic database models.
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