The subject of this research project is the architecture and design of a multidatabase query facility. These databases contain structured data, typical for business applications. Problems addressed are: presenting a uniform interface for retrieving data from multiple databases, providing autonomy for the component databases, and defining an architecture for semantic services. DIRECT is a query facility for heterogeneous databases. The databases and their definitions can differ in their data models, names, types, and encoded values. Instead of creating a global schema, descriptions of different databases are allowed to coexist. A multidatabase query language provides a uniform interface for retrieving data from different databases. DIRECT has been exercised with operational databases that are part of an automated business system.

No abstract available.

Many computer systems assist users in the performance of tasks by providing metaphors for the tasks themselves. The success of such systems hinge on how accurately and effectively the user interface represents those tasks. In this paper we describe such a representation for the task of loading boxed appliances into truck trailers. This representation was used to provide the format for the loading plans generated by an expert system constructed to plan the loading of such products. These plans tell the warehouse personnel that actually load the trucks just where each product is to be placed in the truck, how it is to be oriented, as well as where extra padding and filler material should be placed.