PackageBuilder

Abstract

PackageBuilder is a system that extends query engines to support package generation. A package is a collection of tuples with certain global properties defined on the collection as a whole. In contrast to traditional query answers where each answer tuple needs to satisfy the query predicates, each answer package needs to satisfy global constraints on the collection of tuples: e.g., a package of recipes that collectively do not exceed 2,200 calories. PackageBuilder introduces simple extensions to the SQL language to support package-level predicates, and includes a simple interface that allows users to load datasets and interactively specify package queries. Our system allows users to interactively navigate through the result packages, and to provide feedback by fixing tuples within a package. PackageBuilder automatically processes this feedback to refine the package queries, and generate new sets of results.