| Abstract | The notion of an integrated database management system for structural engineering applications is presented. Essentially, the system emphasizes a reliable means for information processing and transfer among various application programs in practice. The prototype system, be known as Engineering Data-Base Management System (EDBMS), written in Microsoft QuickBASIC Version 4.5, provides a general data management system for structural engineering applications on a personal computer. The organization of EDBMS consists of an administrator module and three main sub-systems, i.e., Data Management Mechanism (DMM), Direct Access Mechanism (DAM), and Data Exchange Mechanism (DEM). The administrator module is designed to interact with general users, and to manage the external requests to the related intersystem modules. It is designed to function interactively. DMM sub-system is designed to manage all requested data in the database such as sorting, searching, deleting, undeletlng, packing, printing, etc. DAM sub-system is designed to retrieve and deposit any specified set of data from and to the database directly via two independent modules, i.e., PutDB and GetDB respectively. DEM sub-system provides a general solution to the data exchange problem, as it is designed to be free of any restriction on data format, database structure, or supporting host language. Two independent modules, lmportDB and ExportDB, are provided to import and export data between an application program and the database. Each data entity is viewed as a table (matrix) with its heading parameters. The structure of database is designed to consist of ( 1) header file (text file) for storing the heading parameter blocks of data entities, and (2) data content or data value file (random access file) for storing the corresponding numerical contents or values of data entities. Several basic utilities are implemented on each sub-system independently for easy future modification or expansion. Concept of macro commands is taken into account for accessing the utilities of DEM sub-system. A system library containing independent utility tools of EDBMS is provided for future programming purpose. The system has the advantages of flexibility, modularity, expandability, portability, and efficiency over the current pre- and post processor methods of data exchange. Data in various formats can be transferred to or retrieved from the centralized database via utilities provided, even without knowledge of the physical data structure, nor user's programming background. The performance of the prototype is illustrated to show the advantages of the system, as well as its applications in handling data between application programs and the database. |