Design of a Data Dictionary Editor in a Distributed Software Development Environment.

The project involved the design and implementation of a data dictionary system in a distributed development enviornment. The distributed environment consists of a central computer that hosts a database management system, a conglomerate of workstations, and the communications links between the workstations and central computer. The emphasis of the research was placed on the design of a user-friendly data dictionary editor that was implemented on a prototype workstation. Data dictionary definitions are created and updated at the workstation and transfered between the workstation and central computer database. Background information is provided on data dictionary systems, aspects of human-computer interfaces, and distributed environment interface issues. The design and development of the special editor and the database interface software are described in detail in this thesis.