A Personal Data Manager

1. Introduction The Personal Data Manager (PDM) is a simple database system for personal computers. PDM is intended to provide personal information management capabilities for the large class of personal computer users who are not computer experts, and who have no programming experience. PDM simply attempts to make a personal computer serve as an extension of its user's memory. PDM is based on a simple conceptual database model that includes high-level semantic modeling constructs, such as objects, object kinds (types), attributes, and object frames. A prescriptive user interface allows the contents of the database and the structure on the information in the database to be changed dynamically. A working kind is a run-time collection of database objects defined via the user-interface; working kinds can be interactively restricted and expanded and made part of the permanent database. This paper discusses the design of the Personal Data Manager, including the conceptual information model, the user interface, and a prototype implementation. The past several years have seen a dramatic proliferation of personal computers, and anticipated future technological advances will continue to increase their power and reduce their cost. These flexible tools are improving the a,ccessibility of computing resources for end-users who are not computer experts, and who may have little or no programming experience. While personal computers support a wide variety of specific applications, perhaps one of the most exciting and far-reaching potential uses of a personal computer is a general-purpose information manager and a tool for information sharing/communication. The class of potential end-users of a personal information manager is mostly dominated by the large number of 'home computer " users who are by no means computer experts, and who have little or no programming experience. Typical end-users may use an information system to manage personal data from a wide variety of applications, such as a phone directory, a calendar, an entertainment guide, a recipe file, a wine list, an index of vacation slides, etc. Novice end-users, however, may successfully utilize an information system only if it provides a simple and easily understandable interface that supports database communication and interaction in a straightforward manner. Potential end-users of a personal data manager also include professionals and engineers who have needs for capabilities to manage office information and design data. Permission to copy without fee all or part of this material Lc gmnted provided that the copies are not made or distributed for direct commercial …