Building a constraint-based spatial database system: model, languages, and implementation

  • Authors:

  • Philippe Rigaux;Michel Scholl;Luc Segoufin;Stéphane Grumbach

  • Affiliations:

  • LRI, Bât. 490, Université Paris-Sud, 91400 Orsay, France;CNAM, 292 rue Saint-Martin 75141 Paris Cedex 03, France and INRIA, BP 105, 78153 Le Chesnay Cedex, France;INRIA, BP 105, 78153 Le Chesnay Cedex, France;INRIA, BP 105, 78153 Le Chesnay Cedex, France

  • Venue:
  • Information Systems
  • Year:
  • 2003

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Abstract

This paper presents DEDALE, a spatial database system, which provides an abstract and non-specialized data model and query language for representating and manipulating geometric data in arbitrary dimension. DEDALE relies on a logical model based on linear constraints. The main features of the constraint model are: (1) a uniform representation of all sorts of data, including geometric, spatio-temporal or elevation data and (2) an algebraic query language whose formal foundations constitute a basis for practical query optimization.We show the practical relevance of the approach by describing an implementation which builds on standard technology for data storage, database indexing and on the parsing and optimization of SQL. DEDALE validates the linear constraint model over various applications, proposes a user query language based on SQL which allows to query the database in a purely declarative way, and gives some first steps towards query optimization.We believe that this experience is a fruitful step toward sound and consistent database models which hide the complexity of arbitrary geometric data, while keeping manipulation languages intuitive and efficient.