A familial model of data for a multilevel schema framework

摘要

The family of sets is introduced as the basic structure of modeling for a multilevel schema architecture. The families provide insight into data management problems by bridging the gap between the set theory and the database theory, and by capturing more semantic content in models. General set operations are defined on families to provide an algebraic database language with a sound theoretical basis and yet intuitive and easy to use. Several syntactic arrangements of the familial algebra are proposed as appropriate languages for different classes of users of database management systems.