Logic Journal of IGPL Advance Access originally published online on September 29, 2006
Logic Journal of IGPL 2006 14(5):785-814; doi:10.1093/jigpal/jzl010
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Querying Hyperset/Web-Like Databases
Department of Computer Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZF, UK. E-mail: v.sazonov{at}csc.liv.ac.uk
| Abstract |
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Hyperset approach to Web-like (semistructured) databases is presented in a simple and intuitive way, hopefully for a wider audience, with demonstrating how this abstract view can be represented in concrete terms of set equations distributed between many hyperlinked HTML files of a particular form. Detailed, bisimulation invariant operational semantics of hyperset query language
is defined by means of reduction rules transforming such systems of set equations. The high expressive power of this language, formerly characterised by using the technique of descriptive complexity theory, is illustrated by defining formal semantics of path expressions, as well as of other known languages UnQL and UnCAL. A "horizontal", stronger alternative to structural recursion of UnCAL is introduced, both definable in
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Key Words: Semistructured or Web-like databases hypersets non-well-founded sets bisimulation query language Delta UnQL UnCAL expressive power path expressions structural recursion