Hi Bill:

Generating code from db schemes is a good idea.
Generating adaptive programs from db schemes is a good idea.
  (Demeter/Java generates the Print etc. visitors as adaptive programs.)

To translate a relational schema to a cd is however not easy.
Why not start with schemas for an oo data base such as Object Store?

Can you be more explicit what the generated programs will have
as inputs and outputs.

-- Karl

>From WMcMahon@BFDS.com Fri Oct 30 12:17:35 1998
>From: William McMahon <WMcMahon@BFDS.com>
>To: "'Karl Lieberherr'" <lieber@ccs.neu.edu>
>Cc: "'Me @ NU'" <wjmcmaho@ccs.neu.edu>
>Subject: COM3360 project.
>Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 12:06:08 -0500
>
>Prof. Lieberherr,
>
>For my project, I would like to develop a (prototype) tool that
>automatically generates GUI data base query and maintenance programs
>from db schemes.  Or, rather it would generate Demeter/Java .cd and .beh
>files, which would in turn generated the programs.  The basic idea would
>be to couple relational data base schemes (translated to class
>dictionaries) with GUI screen components (java.awt) and data base
>operations (select, insert, and update), in a structure-shy way.
>
>While there are many commercially available tools that generate DB GUIs,
>my experience is that they are either impossible to customize or
>cumbersome to use. It seems to me that a tool based on Demeter/Java
>could be almost completely automatic (for a first approximation) and,
>more importantly, that result could then be easily customized.
>
>I realize that this project could grow quite large and complex, but I
>see that as opportunity to test the evolutionary nature of Demeter.  My
>plan is to start small and see how far I can get by the end of the term.
>
>Of course, any input you could give would be most welcome.  Thanks.
>
>--Bill
>