A framework for temporal data models: exploiting object-oriented technology

Abstract

Most database research on modeling time has concentrated on the definition of a particular temporal model and its incorporation into a (relational or object) database management system. This has resulted in quite a large number of different temporal models, each providing a specific set of temporal features. This paper presents an object-oriented framework for temporal models which supports multiple notions of time. The framework can be used to accommodate the temporal needs of different applications and to derive existing temporal models by making a series of design decisions through subclass specialization. It can also be used to derive a series of new, more general temporal models that meet the needs of a growing number of emerging applications.