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Implementation of the Prometheus Taxonomic Model: a comparison of database models and query languages and an introduction to the Prometheus ObjectOriented Model
Author(s) -
Raguenaud Cédric,
Pullan Martin R.,
Watson Mark F.,
Kennedy Jessie B.,
Newman Mark F.,
Barclay Peter J.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
taxon
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.819
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1996-8175
pISSN - 0040-0262
DOI - 10.2307/1554970
Subject(s) - computer science , query language , data model (gis) , semantics (computer science) , graph , object (grammar) , database , data modeling , information retrieval , programming language , artificial intelligence , theoretical computer science
Abstract Types of databases commonly used for handling taxonomic data are compared. It is shown that none of the existing types of databases fully support the requirements of taxonomic data. The results of this comparison provide a rationale for the design and implementation of a new database system based on an Extended ObjectOriented model. The new model, the Prometheus ObjectOriented Model (POOM) and its query language Prometheus ObjectOriented Language (POOL) , are discussed in relation to the requirements of taxonomic data and the Prometheus Taxonomic Data Model. POOM provides the ability to represent the semantics of relationships between data. This allows us to build the type of graph structures that are found in taxonomic hierarchies. In addition, the system can query and manipulate these graphs ( POOL ). These features have been used to improve the original Prometheus Taxonomic Data Model . These improvements and the advantages they offer are described and discussed.