Ad-Hoc Query Specification Tools for the SQL Neophyte

This paper investigates fully knowledgeable ad-hoc query generation and introduces one suah reporting tool developed by Oracle consulting in conjunction with AT&T Bell Laboratories in Allentown, PA. The tool allows end-users to construct queries with absolutely no knowledge of the database structure or the SQL language. This represents a technological breakthrough in the realm of low-cost, intelligent user interfaces. The tool is capable of running on a DOS client in well under 640K and attaching to central database at query execution time or of running stand alone on any Oracle-supported system.