Programming languages have traditionally had more data types than database systems. The flexibility of abstract types could make a database system more useful in supporting application development. Abstract types allow users to think about and manipulate data in terms and structures that they are familiar with. This paper proposes that databases have a type system interface and describes a representation of a type system in terms of relations. The type system model supports a variety of programming language constructs, such as user-defined parameterized data types and user-defined generic operations. The efficiency of the type system is compared to the access time of the database system.

Display management software usually provides support for: creating displays on a CRT (cathode ray tube) or other output device; handling user inputs from keyboards, light-pens, and other input devices; and communicating with an application program in terms of these outputs and inputs. We propose a design for a family of display management systems which provide device-independent, high-level support for applications programming. The design involves structuring the display management software as a set of modules, with three levels of interfaces. The key features of this design include: 1) separation of display specifications from the actual data to be displayed; 2) structured output and input specifications; 3) asynchronous, message passing inter-faces; and 4) a software structure based on hiding details of data structures, algorithms and device orders.

A programming support system using extended Nassi-Shneiderman diagrams (NSD) is described. The aim of the work is to develop techniques for improving the quality and cost of specifying, documenting and producing computer programs. NSD's can be executed interpretively or compiled to produce running code. The system implementation has begun and charts can be drawn on a variety of display devices. The system is being developed using the Picture Building System developed earlier.

This paper describes a general purpose 'picture building system'. The main purpose of the system is to provide an environment wherein an application programmer can interactively create and modify applications. In addition to a graphics software package the picture building system provides high-level application building tools and a relational data base as integral parts of the system. An interpreter is provided to draw pictures from data stored in relations. A correlation handler is provided to allow a user to identify and manipulate displayed items. A relations editor is provided to interactively create, edit, and display relations. The picture building system works on a variety of graphic and nongraphic terminals.