| Summary: | This paper presents an approach to the development and use of
management information systems that is particularly applicable to systems
with the following characteristics:
- several classes of users, each of which has a different
degree of sophistication
- complex and changing security requirements
- data exhibits complex and changing inter-relationships
- changing needs to be met by information system
- must be built quickly nd inexpensively
- complex data validation requirements
The approach is hierarchical from the user's view in that he may
access the system at distinct levels, corresponding to his degree of
computer sophistication. A casual user has high level primitives to work
with, while an experienced user has more flexible but more detailed low-
level primitives.
We also have advocated that such systems be implemented in a hierarchical
fashion, because this technique provides for ease of debugging, independence
of hardware, and a basis for investigating properties of completeness,
integrity, correctness, and performance.
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