Easik 3.0: categorical database design and manipulation

Easik 3.0: categorical database design and manipulation

[Bob Rosebrugh]

Version 3.0 of the Java application Easik has been released. Previous 
versions were announced on this list.

Easik is a graphical environment for database design based on the finite 
limit, finite sum Entity-Attribute (EA) sketches, and also for data entry 
and manipulation. EA sketches are the syntactic basis of the categorical 
Sketch Data Model developed by the poster and Michael Johnson. The model 
extends and considerably enhances the widely studied and implemented 
Entity-Relationship-Attribute data model.

Easik supports graphical design of EA sketches and their export to SQL 
database schemas. An exported schema has triggers and procedures which 
enforce the graphically specified constraints, both finite limit and 
finite sum. Views built from subschemas may be designed and implemented. 
Easik also provides connectivity for data manipulation to the common 
open-source database management system MySQL.

Version 3.0 contains the functionality of Version 2.0 and adds several new 
view features. Most importantly, views can now implement constraints from 
the supporting EA sketch. Some known safe view updates are permitted, and 
are restricted in other cases. Constraint handling has been tested and 
refined.

The application is available at

http://mathcs.mta.ca/research/rosebrugh/Easik

or follow the link from

http://www.mta.ca/~rrosebru/

Downloads include:
- user instructions
- an executable Java archive (jar) file
- Java source code
- example designs

The contributors to Easik are Robert Fletcher, Kevin Green, Vera Ranieri, 
Jason Rhinelander, Andrew Wood, Christian Fiddick, Sarah VanderLaan, 
Federico Mora and Robert Rosebrugh. We acknowledge support from NSERC 
Canada and Mount Allison University.

Extensive information about the Sketch Data Model is in articles available
from the web pages of the poster and Michael Johnson.

Comments and user reports are very welcome.

Bob Rosebrugh


[For admin and other information see: http://www.mta.ca/~cat-dist/ ]