AN OVERVIEW OF REFLECTION AND ITS USE IN COOPERATION

This paper describes a number of approaches to the development of more intelligent and more adaptable software. The paper introduces the not ion of reflection and surveys two major styles: task and programming r eflection. The paper then introduces a new form, viz Operational refle ction, based on the integration of these styles. This form of reflecti on is applied to cooperative environments and enables local database s ystems to be surrounded by a layer of meta-level software. This is use d to capture domain and operational knowledge, and to describe, at lea st in part, remote systems and to monitor task-oriented activities. Th us we can turn a set of discrete database systems into a cooperative e nvironment.