This paper reports on user experience with Tioga, a DBMS-centric visualization tool developed at Berkeley. Based on this experience, we have designed Tioga-2 as a direct manipulation system that is more powerful and much easier to program. We present a detailed design of the revised system together with an extensive example of its application. We also give a progress report on a Tioga-2 implementation.

The paper reports on user experience with Tioga, a DBMS centric visualization tool developed at Berkeley. Based on this experience, we have designed Tioga-2 as a direct manipulation system that is more powerful and much easier to program. A detailed design of the revised system is presented, together with an extensive example of its application.

This paper describes extensions to the Tioga flight-simulator browsing protocol presented by Stonebraker et al. (1993a). These extensions allow users to navigate a multidimensional data space using sophisticated zooming capabilities. This design also allows users to move easily between different multidimensional spaces. Tunneling between different data spaces is shown to be a substantial generalization of hyperlinks in a hypermedia system. Finally, our design provides for the coordination of multiple browsers. This preserves context and allows users to explore multiple paths simultaneously. In concert, these extensions incorporate the functionality of many information management paradigms as well as introducing new constructs. These powerful mechanisms for relating data provide users with great flexibility. For example, users can create magnifying glasses which show an enhanced view of the underlying data.

In [STON93] we proposed a visual programming system called Tioga. The Tioga system applies a boxes and arrows programming notation to allow nonexpert users to graphically construct database applications. Users connect database procedures using a dataflow model. Browsers are used to visualize the resulting data. This paper describes extensions to the Tioga browser protocol. These extensions allow sophisticated, flight- simulator navigation through a multidimensional data space. This design also incorporates wormholes to allow tunneling between different multidimensional spaces. Wormholes are shown to be substantial generalizations of hyperlinks in a hypertext system. These powerful mechanisms for relating data provide users with great flexibility. For example, users can create magnifying glasses that provide an enhanced view of the underlying data.

The Tioga system applies a boxes and arrows programming notation to allow nonexpert users to graphically construct database applications. Users connect database procedures using a dataflow model. Browsers are used to visualize the resulting data. This paper describes extensions to the Tioga browser protocol. These extensions allow sophisticated, flight-simulator navigation through a multidimensional data space. This design also incorporates wormholes to allow tunneling between different multidimensional spaces. Wormholes are shown to be substantial generalizations of hyperlinks in a hypertext system. These powerful mechanisms for relating data provide users with great flexibility. For example, users can create magnifying glasses that provide an enhanced view of the underlying data.< >

In [STON93] we proposed a new user interface paradigm called Tioga for interacting with database management systems. Tioga simplifies the task of building database applications and is geared especially towards the needs of scientific users. We borrow the "boxes and arrows" visual programming notation of scientific visualization systems and allow users to graphically construct applications by using database procedures as building blocks. This paper extends the Tioga paradigm to a general database programming environment. In particular, we address three shortcomings of graphical query languages. First, we define a mechanism for allowing general programs--not just database procedures--as building blocks. This extension allows better handling of general data entry and data visualization needs and provides an interface to foreign systems. Second, we permit database updates. Third, we define a transaction semantics for graphical query languages. Unlike traditional transactions, Tioga transactions contain a directed graph of queries instead of a linear sequence of queries. We explore concurrency control techniques to promote both intra-transaction and inter-transaction parallelism. Finally, we present query processing strategies for graphical queries with general building blocks, updates, and transactions. We show how to efficiently execute a Tioga application by de- composing the application into components that are individually optimized.

In the work we present a new architecture for visualization systems that is based on data base management system (DBMS) technology. By building on the mechanisms present in a next-generation DBMS, rather than merely on the capabilities of a standard file manager, we show that a simpler and more powerful visualization system can be constructed. We retain the popular "boxes and arrows" programming notation for constructing visualization programs, but add a "flight simulator" model of movement to navigate the output of such programs. In addition, we provide a means to specify a hierarchy of abstracts of data of different types and resolutions, so that a "zoom" capability can be supported. The underlying DBMS support for this system, Tioga, is briefly described, as well as the current state of the implementation.<>

We present a user interface paradigm for database management systems that is motivated by scientific visualization applications. Our graphical user interface includes a “boxes and arrows” notation for database access and a flight simulator model of movement through information space. We also provide means to specify a hierarchy of abstracts of data of different types and resolutions, so that a “zoom” capability can be supported. The underlying DI3MS support for this system is described and includes the compilation of query plans into megaplans, new algorithms for data buffering, and provisions for a guaranteed rate of data delivery. The current state of the Tioga implementation is also de-

We present a user interface paradigm for database management systems that is motivated by scientific visualization applications. Our graphical user interface includes a "boxes and arrows" notation for database access and a flight simulator model of movement through information space. We also provide means to specify a hierarchy of abstracts of data of different types and resolutions, so that a "zoom" capability can be supported. The underlying DBMS support for this system is described and includes the compilation of query plans into megaplans, new algorithms for data buffering, and provisions for a guaranteed rate of data delivery. The current state of the Tioga implementation is also described.

The authors explain the paradigm that they are following for Sequoia 2000 object browsers. It is intended to be a keyboard-free interface, and is based on the move and zoom paradigm popularized for US Navy ships by SDMS. Since repository objects reside in a POSTGRES database, use is made of several of the novel features provided by POSTGRES. The authors briefly describe features of POSTGRES that are relevant to the browser. The Sequoia 2000 repository browser is described in some detail. Example browsers that can be quickly built using the authors' paradigm are presented.<>

In this paper we explain the paradigm that we are following for Sequoia 2000 object browsers. It is intended to be a keyboard-free interface, and is based on the move and zoom paradigm popularized for Navy ships by SDMS [HERO80].\fR

In (STON93) we proposed a new user interface paradigm called Tioga for interacting with database manage- ment systems. Tioga simplifies the task of building database applications and is geared especially towards the needs of scientific users. We borrow the "boxes and arrows" visual programming notation of scientific visualization sys- tems and allow users to graphically construct applications by using database procedures as building blocks. This paper extends the Tioga paradigm to a general database programming environment. In particular, we address three shortcomings of graphical query languages. First, we define a mechanism for allowing general pro- grams---not just database procedures---as building blocks. This extension allows better handling of general data entry and data visualization needs and provides an interface to foreign systems. Second, we permit database updates. Third, we define a transaction semantics for graphical query languages. Unlike traditional transactions, Tioga trans- actions contain a directed graph of queries instead of a linear sequence of queries. We explore concurrency control techniques to promote both intra-transaction and inter-transaction parallelism. Finally, we present query processing strategies for graphical queries with general building blocks, updates, and transactions. We show how to efficiently execute a Tioga application by decomposing the application into com- ponents that are individually optimized.