An Extensible Constructor Tool for the Rapid, Interactive Design of Query Synthesizers

Abstract

We describe an extensible constructor tool that helps information experts (e.g., librarians) create specialized query synthesizers for heterogeneous digital-library environments. A query synthesizer provides a graphical user interface in which a digital-library patron can specify a high-level, fielded, multi-source query. Furthermore, a query synthesizer interacts with a query translator and an attribute translator to transform high-level queries into sets of source-specific queries. We discuss how the constructor can facilitate discovery of available attributes (e.g., title), collation of schemas from different sources, selection of input widgets for a synthesizer (e.g., a text box or a drop-down list widget to support input of controlled vocabulary),, and other design aspects. We also describe a prototype constructor we implemented, based on the Stanford InfoBus and metadata architecture