A Methodology for the Design of Specific-purpose Data Models Applied to Multimedia and Geographical Information Systems*

The integration of spatial and multimedia databases is an essential requirement imposed by the new generation of geographical information systems. Integrating spatial and multimedia databases is a complex process that takes place at three different levels: conceptual, language and system levels. This paper is concerned with the integration of data models at the conceptual level. It describes a methodology for the design of specific-purpose data models. It illustrates the application of the methodology by presenting some aspects of the design of a hypermap data model, an object-oriented model that enhances the ability of a geographical information system to manipulate maps with multimedia capabilities. The methodology has three key benefits: (1) it organizes the effort required to design a specific-purpose data model; (2) it reduces the complexity of the conceptual integration process, when many models are merged to create a new one; and (3) it serves as a valuable research tool for investigating the software integration process at a conceptual level.