An Open Data Management Architecture for Groupware Applications

Object-oriented data management is applied to a system called SCOPE, which supports various groupware applications. It is shown with examples that the object-oriented paradigm is useful for representing forms and procedures in a groupware environment. In order to make SCOPE open to other systems, a communication layer is introduced under the object-oriented layer. Open systems also require easy schema evolution. The programming-by-example metaphor of spreadsheet systems is employed to easily define rules for objects. The process and module structure of SCOPE is also presented.