Production Rules for General Database Users

Abstract

Production rules are suggested and developed as a standard notation for the general database users. They are shown to be appropriate for a variety of data models and a variety of database activities. A production based data language (PDL) is introduced and recommended as a standard notation for several data models and many database activities. The expressiveness of the language is demonstrated through examples spanning a wide range of activities. The advantages of a single standard notation are argued to be the minimization of user effort in learning notations, the elimination of the need for conversion from one language to another whenever multiple models or activities are involved, the development of general principles cutting across data models and activities, and the transfer of knowledge and insight developed in one context to other environments. Experience with production rules as an end-user development tool is reported.