Experiences With Super, A Database Visual Environment

We present our experiences with building SUPER 1 , a database environment based on a structurally object-oriented entity-relationship model, called ERC+. SUPER is designed to be a semantically rich user-friendly front-end to existing relational or object-oriented database systems. We focus on the functionalities of visual direct manipulation interfaces of SUPER, in particular the schema and the query editors. We motivate and advocate the use of object-oriented toolboxes both to support the multi-threaded event-based dialogue of direct manipulation graphical interfaces and the implementation of data models. 1. INTRODUCTION User interfaces have evolved from command languages, where the user had a textual, sequential interaction with the computer, to graphical, direct manipulation interfaces, based on the WIMP metaphor (Windows, Icons, Menus, Pointing devices). Human-computer interaction has evolved to a multithreaded dialogue, where multiple, independent tasks are carried out simultaneo..