Coping with Constraint Violation: the Practical Face of Database Integrity

We consider the problems of coping with violations of semantic integrity constraints in applications requiring long-duration, user-controlled transaction. Such a transaction will typically violate many constraints, and will have a complicated semantics that is non-trivial to repair. We propose an approach to the related problems of explaining integrity violations, and presenting possible repair plans, to the users of such systems. The approach uses natural language generation techniques to explain the available options to users in their own terms, rather than in the terms used by the DBMS, and thus results in a more user-centred system that is more easily accepted by lay-users.