WWW interfaces for runtime relational database applications

The Alcator C-Mod group has been using an electronic lab notebook based on a relational database since the experiment started in 1991. The software, c alled logbook, provides a shared lab notebook abstraction for all of the pa rticipating scientists. It currently contains more than 37 000 text entries . This application and its underlying database schema are also being used a t DIIID and NSTX in the US, and installations at TCV at EPFL and H1 at ANU are in progress. A new WEB based user interface is being developed, modeled on the ENTRY_DISPLAY interface, which was written in IDL(TM). It provides complete read/write access to the entries table to any authorized user via a WEB browser. This interface places much lower demands on network and comp uting resources than the IDL/X-Windows based version. (C) 2000 Elsevier Sci ence S.A. All rights reserved.