HIFI - HYPERTEXT INTERFACE FOR INFORMATION - MULTIMEDIA AND RELATIONAL DATABASES

HIFI (ESPRIT Project 6532) creates a set of tools to allow a reader to access a large body of heterogeneous information, managed by external databases created before hand, through a hypertext interface, Informa tion currently found in information systems is based on different medi a and is usually managed by different tools, like relational databases and a variety of multimedia database systems. Sometimes the need aris es to 'browse' through the information using an interactive and intuit ive interface. Hypertext is probably the best current means for intera ctive (and possibly; intuitive) navigation through a heterogeneous bod y of information. Available hypertext tools, however, are usually seen as being for managing their own information rather than being an inte rface for accessing external databases. The HIFI approach is based on a model-based description of the hypertext application, as it appears to the reader. A declarative and/or operational mapping translates hyp ertext operations (search, queries and navigation) into operations on the underlying information base and also 'materialises' hypertext obje cts, using objects of the underlying databases. The system also implem ents methodologies to support the hypertext interface development proc ess. Real-life applications will be developed to show the validity of the approach, with the cooperation of important end-users who will coo perate with the project directly, either as partners or sponsors.