A visual interface for synchronous collaboration and negotiated transactions

ABSTRACT

This paper introduces a visual interface for computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW). The interface is an extension of the editor interface of ESCHER, a prototype database system based on the extended non-first-normal-form data model. In ESCHER, the nested table approach is the paradigm for presenting data, where presenting includes browsing, editing and querying the database. Interaction is achieved by fingers generalising the well-known cursor concept. When several users are involved, the concept permits synchronous collaboration with the nested table acting as "whiteboard". We discuss its use in applications which require negotiated transactions, i.e. where the isolation principle of ACID-transactions gives way to negotiations. We also give examples of how interactive query formulation in a QBE-like fashion can support the collaboration. The arguments in the paper are mainly supported with screenshots taken from two applications, one of them also with non-textual data types which are seamlessly integrated into the nested tabular display paradigm.

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