A virtual hierarchical relational file system

A database system design is proposed with characteristics that are taken from several existing database models in an attempt to satisfy the needs of the growing number of non-computer-oriented users. This system has the following capabilities:

1. the ability to hierarchically interrelate files using an underlying relational approach while keeping the process necessary to accomplish this invisible to the user;

2. the ability to give the user the impression that he/she is using a simple filing system where one physical file at a time is queried;

3. the ability to answer simple single field queries with great speed;

4. the ability to implement multi-field primary keys;

5. no need for the user to remember a command language.

The method used to achieve the first two goals is to give the system the ability to handle virtual relations or views. This allows the end user to work with several interrelating files at once, yet gives the impression of working with a single file. To achieve speed and avoid multiple sequential reads of all files involved in joins, only single indexed fields will be allowed in queries and as child fields.

This thesis explains the basis for such a design and then describes an implementation that incorporates much of the design in an effort to show its practicallity. Details of the underlying architecture of the implementation are given and there are some suggestions for further research in this area.