Abstract
Formulating non-trivial queries in relational languages such as SQL and QBE can prove daunting to end users. ConQuer is a conceptual query language that allows users to formulate queries naturally in terms of elementary relationships, operators such as “and”, “or”, “not” and “maybe”, contextual for clauses and object-correlation, thus avoiding the need to deal explicitly with implementation details such as relational tables, null values, outer joins, group by clauses and correlated subqueries. While most conceptual query languages are based on the Entity-Relationship approach, ConQuer is based on Object-Role Modeling (ORM), which exposes semantic domains as conceptual object types, allowing queries to be formulated via paths through the information space. As a result of experience with the first implementation of ConQuer, the language has been substantially revised and extended to become ConQuer-II, and a new tool, ActiveQuery, has been developed with an improved interface. ConQuer-II's new features such as arbitrary correlation and subtyping enable it to be used for a wide range of advanced conceptual queries.
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Auddino, A., Amiel, E. & Bhargava, B. 1991 ‘Experiences with SUPER, a Database Visual Environment', DEXA'91 Database and Expert System Applications, pp. 172–178.
Bloesch. A.C. & Halpin, T.A. 1996, ‘ConQuer: a conceptual query language', Conceptual Modeling-ER'96, Springer LNCS, no. 1157, pp. 121–33.
Campbell, L.J, Halpin, T.A. & Proper, H.A. 1996, ‘Conceptual schemas with abstractions: making flat conceptual schemas more comprehensible', Data and Knowledge Engineering, vol. 20, Elsevier Science, pp. 39–85.
Cattell, R.G.G. (ed.) 1994, The Object Database Standard. ODMG-93, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, San Francisco.
Date, C.J. 1996, ‘Aggregate functions', Database Prog. & Design, vol. 9, no. 4, Miller Freeman, San Mateo CA, pp. 17–19.
Date, C.J. & Darwen, H. 1992, Relational Database. writings 1989–1991, Addison-Wesley, Reading MA, esp. Chs 17–20.
De Troyer, O. & Meersman, R. 1995, ‘A logic framework for a semantics of object oriented data modeling', OOER'95: Object-Oriented and Entity-Relationship Modeling, Springer LNCS, no. 1021, pp. 238-49.
Embley, D.W., Wu, H.A., Pinkston, J.S. & Czejdo, B. 1996, ‘OSM-QL: a calculus-based graphical query language', Tech. Report, Dept of Comp. Science, Brigham Young Univ., Utah.
Halpin, T.A. 1995, Conceptual Schema and Relational Database Design, 2 nd edn, Prentice-Hall Australia, Sydney.
Halpin, T.A. & Orlowska, M.E. 1992, ‘Fact-oriented modelling for data analysis', Journal of Inform. Systems, vol. 2, no. 2, pp, 1–23, Blackwell Scientific, Oxford
Halpin, T.A. & Proper, H.A. 1995, ‘Subtyping and polymorphism in Object-Role Modeling', Data and Knowledge Engineering, vol. 15, Elsevier Science, pp. 251–81.
Halpin, T.A. & Proper, H. A. 1995, ‘Database schema transformation and optimization', OOER'95: Object-Oriented and Entity-Relationship Modeling, Springer LNCS, no. 1021, pp. 191–203.
Halpin, T.A. 1996, ‘Business Rules and Object-Role Modeling', Database Prog. & Design, vol. 9, no. 10, Miller Freeman, San Mateo CA, pp. 66–72.
Hofstede, A.H.M. ter, Proper, H.A. & Weide, th.P. van der 1993, ‘Formal definition of a conceptual language for the description and manipulation of information models', Information Systems, vol. 18, no. 7, pp. 489–523.
Hofstede, A.H.M. ter, Proper, H.A. & Weide, th.P. van der 1996, ‘Query formulation as an information retrieval problem', The Computer Journal, vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 255–74.
Jarke, M., Gallersdörfer, R., Jeusfeld, M.A., Staudt, M., Eherer, S., 1995, ConceptBase—a Deductive Object Base for Meta Data Management, Journal of Intelligent Information Systems, Special Issue on Advances in Deductive ObjectOriented Databases, vol. 4, no. 2, 167–192.
Lawley, M. & Topor R. 1994, ‘A Query Language for EER Schemas', ADC'94 Proceedings of the 5 th Australian Database Conference, Global Publications Service, pp. 292–304.
McCormack, J.I., Halpin, T.A. & Ritson, P.R. 1993, ‘Automated mapping of conceptual schemas to relational schemas', Advanced Inf. Sys. Eng: CAiSE'93, Springer LNCS, no. 685, pp. 432–48.
Meersman, R. 1982, ‘The RIDL conceptual language', Research report, Int. Centre for Information Analysis Services, Control Data Belgium, Brussels.
Mylopoulos, J., Borgida, A., Jarke, M. & Koubarakis, M., 1990, Telos: a language for representing knowledge about information systems, ACM Transactions Information Systems vol. 8, no 4.
Ozsoyoglu, G. & Wang, H. 1993, ‘Example-based graphical database query languages', Computer, vol. 26, no. 5, pp. 25–38.
Parent, C. & Spaccapietra, S. 1989, ‘About Complex Entities, Complex Objects and Object-Oriented Data Models', Information System Concepts An—In-depth Analysis, Falkenberg, E.D. & Lindgreen, P., Eds., North Holland, pp. 347–360
Proper, H.A. & Weide, Th. P. van der 1995, ‘Information disclosure in evolving information systems: taking a shot at a moving target', Data and Knowledge Engineering, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 135–68, Elsevier Science.
Rosengren, P. 1994, ‘Using Visual ER Query Systems in Real World Applications', CAiSE'94: Advanced Information Systems Engineering, Springer LNCS, no. 811, pp. 394–405.
Staudt, M., Nissen, H. W., Jeusfeld, M.A. 1994, Query by Class, Rule and Concept. Applied Intelligence, Special Issue on Knowledge Base Management, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 133–157
Wintraecken, J.J.V.R. 1990, The NIAM Information Analysis Method: Theory and Practice, Kluwer, Deventer, The Netherlands.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1997 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Bloesch, A.C., Halpin, T.A. (1997). Conceptual queries using ConQuer-II. In: Embley, D.W., Goldstein, R.C. (eds) Conceptual Modeling — ER '97. ER 1997. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1331. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-63699-4_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-63699-4_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-63699-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-69630-8
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive