On Conceptual Modelling

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

   PDF

2. Artificial Intelligence, Database, and Programming Language Overviews

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

      PDF

   2. An Overview of Knowledge Representation

      • John Mylopoulos, Hector J. Levesque

      Pages 3-17

   3. On the Development of Data Models

      • Michael L. Brodie

      Pages 19-47

   4. The Impact of Modelling and Abstraction Concerns on Modern Programming Languages

      • Mary Shaw

      Pages 49-83

3. Perspectives from Artificial Intelligence

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 85-85

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   2. Generalization/Specialization as a Basis for Software Specification

      • Alexander Borgida, John Mylopoulos, Harry K. T. Wong

      Pages 87-117

   3. Some Remarks on the Semantics of Representation Languages

      • David J. Israel, Ronald J. Brachman

      Pages 119-146

   4. Open Systems

      • Carl Hewitt, Peter de Jong

      Pages 147-164

   5. The Logic of Incomplete Knowledge Bases

      • Hector J. Levesque

      Pages 165-189

   6. Towards a Logical Reconstruction of Relational Database Theory

      • Raymond Reiter

      Pages 191-238

   7. A Formal Representation for Plans in the Programmer’s Apprentice

      • Charles Rich

      Pages 239-273

4. Perspectives from Databases

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 275-275

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   2. On the Design and Specification of Database Transactions

      • Michael L. Brodie, Dzenan Ridjanovic

      Pages 277-312

   3. A Unified Model and Methodology for Conceptual Database Design

      • Roger King, Dennis McLeod

      Pages 313-331

   4. Adding Semantic Knowledge to a Relational Database System

      • Michael Stonebraker

      Pages 333-356

5. Perspectives from Programming Languages

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 357-357

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   2. The Functional Data Model and its Uses for Interaction with Databases

      • Peter Buneman, Rishiyur Nikhil

      Pages 359-384

   3. Types in the Programming Language Ada

      • Bernd Krieg-Brueckner

      Pages 385-410

   4. Data Selection, Sharing, and Access Control in a Relational Scenario

      • Manuel Mall, Joachim W. Schmidt, Manuel Reimer

      Pages 411-440

The growing demand for systems of ever-increasing complexity and precision has stimulated the need for higher level concepts, tools, and techniques in every area of Computer Science. Some of these areas, in particular Artificial Intelligence, Databases, and Programming Lan­ guages, are attempting to meet this demand by defining a new, more abstract level of system description. We call this new level conceptual in recognition of its basic conceptual nature. In Artificial Intelligence, the problem of designing an expert system is seen primarily as a problem of building a knowledge base that repre­ sents knowledge about an enterprise. Consequently, Knowledge Repre­ sentation is viewed as a central issue in Artificial Intelligence research. Database design methodologies developed during the last five years are almost unanimous in offering semantic data models in terms of which the designer directly and naturally models an enterprise before proceed­ ing to a detailed logical and physical database design. In Programming Languages, different forms of abstraction which allow implementation­ independent specifications of data, functions, and control have been a major research theme for a decade. To emphasize the common goals of these three research efforts, we call this new activity conceptual modelling.

• Natural
• artificial intelligence
• cognition
• conceptual model
• control
• database design
• expert system
• intelligence
• knowledge
• knowledge base
• künstliche Intelligenz
• modeling
• modelling
• programming
• programming language

• Computer Corporation of America, Four Cambridge Center, Cambridge, USA

  Michael L. Brodie

• Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

  John Mylopoulos

• Fachbereich Informatik, Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany

  Joachim W. Schmidt

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