PatMan A Visual Database System to Manipulate Path Patterns(5)

4.4 Output Module: Visualizing Results

The output module presents the query results, visualizing the structure of the hierarchies maintained in the TSRs and the data records organized in the resource items. It also helps the user to explore TSRs which are already stored either in plain XML files or in the RDBMS. Figure 12(a) shows a TSR schema which is the result of a query. The AND groups are denoted by the curved line crossing the involved paths (in the original implementation paths in a certain AND group have identical colors). For example, /photo/35mmSLR and /photo/35mm Systems/35mmSLR/SLR Cameras belong to an AND group. Resource items are represented by the DATA nodes. Selecting such a node, a new window opens, showing the attributes and the data records of the resource item (see Figure 12(b)).

(a)

(b)

Figure 12: Graphic Result Interface.

4.5 Other Functionalities

The PatMan system, beside its core functions for querying and storing TSRs from hierarchical catalogs, offers a set of tools supporting the user to perform other administration and manipulation tasks:

1. Query Storage. Queries can be still written (following original PatManQL’s syntax) in text files

and loaded in the system to be executed on the TSRs stored.

2. Data Import. Attributes and data records can be added to empty resource items of stored TSRs.

New data records can be also added to existing resource items of stored TSRs. Generally, resource items can be filled or constructed from scratch, given (a) relational tables filled with records or (b) plain record-oriented delimited text files.

3. XML-RDBMS Import. TRSs which are stored as plain XML files can be imported in the

RDBMS.

4. RDBMS-XML Export. TRSs which are stored in the RDBMS can be exported as plain XML

files.

Abstract. Hierarchical structures are a way to organize and enrich semantically the available information on the Web. Popular examples of such structures are the product catalogs of e-market stores, which provide data (i.e. products) organized in thematic

5. TSR re-shape. The user can change the name of the TSR, the name of the XML file used to

encode it, its description and the name of resource items.

5. Application Scenario

This section presents an application scenario to show how our system can be used to manipulate navigational path patterns and data from hierarchical catalogs. Figure 13 presents three TSRs from catalog schemas related to photo equipment. Specifically, (b) and (c) are TSRs from the catalog schemas of Adorama and B&H (presented in Figure 1), while (a) is a TSR of a new, imaginary catalog owned by X to serve the needs of our example. The first TSR is named SLR Systems (stored in the file X.xml), the second SLR cameras (stored in the file Adoramas.xml) and the third lenses (stored in the file ‘B&H.xml).

Figure 13: TSR examples.

X sells integrated photo equipment, that is camera bodies and lenses as one package. Since new lenses are out in the market, X needs to find among the lenses provided by B&H, those that fit in ‘Canon’ bodies provided by Adorama, and are not in her stock as integrated systems. To create complex resource items (i.e. camera bodies and lenses as an integrated package), the user applies the cartesian product operator on SLR cameras and lenses (see Figure 14) to construct TSR1 (see Figure 15). TSR1 includes paths from both TSRs in an AND group and data for integrated photo equipment (i.e. camera bodies and lenses).

Figure 14: Applying cartesian product operator.

Figure 15: Result of cartesian product operator.

Abstract. Hierarchical structures are a way to organize and enrich semantically the available information on the Web. Popular examples of such structures are the product catalogs of e-market stores, which provide data (i.e. products) organized in thematic

From the records of the resource item node of TSR1, the user keeps only those (a) referring to ‘Canon’ camera bodies and (b) having lenses that fit these bodies (see Figures 16 and 17). From all the attributes, the user keeps cbrand, cmodel, lmodel (see Figure 18).

Figure 16: applying select operator: first condition.

Figure 17: applying select operator: second condition.

Figure 19 illustrates TSR1. This TSR refers to integrated systems having ‘Canon’ bodies from Adorama and fitted lenses from B&H.

Figure 18: applying project operator.

Figure 19: TSR TSR1 for case 1.

To find integrated systems which are not in her stock, the user applies the difference operator between TSR1 and SLR systems, resulting in a new TSR having systems with ‘Canon’ bodies from Adorama and lenses from B&H which are not in X’s catalog. Since difference operates on two TSRs with the same set of resource item attributes, a project operator is necessary on SLR systems to keep only attributes cbrand, cmodel and lmodel before applying the difference operator. The resulting TSR (see Figure 20) has one OR component, showing that there is an integrated photo system, including a body ‘EOS-3’ and lens ‘110’ not offered by X.

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