[topicmapmail] Generating TMs out of relational Databases / How To?

[Andreas Fleck]

Hi Murray,

The Database schema i currently have in that MySQL Database is capturing the
Software Tools somebody uses within the process of solving a specific
problem. Furthermore the Database captures how those Software Tools are
related with each other.
For example someone uses Microsoft Excel and produces a CSV file. This CSV
file is then used as input for a Mathematical Software, for example Matlab,
to do some counting.
If we take a look at this scenario the Software Tool "Microsoft Excel" is
linked with "Matlab", through the linktype "output is used as input for". 

My Database schema is caputring the information for this, by providing a
table for the Tools which are used in the Project, another table for the
kind of link the two tools are making up (in the example from above those
link would be "is used as input for") and a table for the Relation, wich is
bringing together the source (Micorsoft Excel) and target (Matlab) tools and
the linktype.

Now i want to visualize this "network", so that one can see how the chain of
software tools, which are used to sucessfully master a project, are linked
together.

So my first task is really just to visualize this network, for navigation
purpose, so that one can keep track over all the Tools which are used within
the project and how they are interlinked among each other.

In order to visualize the network i need an XTM, which is generated out of
the database and the thousands (potentially) of Entries for used Software
Tools, Realtions and Link Type.

hmmm, sorry if this is a little bit too long and íf i have told you stuff
that you aren´t interested in,  but i hope this describes what i want to do.

Please ask if i wasn´t all that clear.
 

Greetings
Andreas


> Andreas,
> 
> Before anyone could answer such questions with any specifics, they'd
> really need to first understand what you're trying accomplish with
> such an auto-generated Topic Map. Do you have a set of requirements
> for the result? Is it for navigation, classification, integration
> between systems or with an existing Topic Map system? Without that
> kind of information it's difficult to know where to start.
> 
> Murray
> 
> ......................................................................
> Murray Altheim                          http://www.altheim.com/murray/
> Strategic and Services Development
> The Open University Library
> The Open University, Milton Keynes, Bucks, MK7 6AA, UK               .
> 
>     The home stretch of the Leopard Challenge involves dragging a
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> 

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