The DeSyGNER data access element: a readily reusable component for the construction of data-compatible multimedia programs.

Dynamic assembly of applications from diverse and possibly disparate collections of information components is a key element for powerful information management environments. Traditional methods of application development hinder flexible integration of information components because they treat computer programs as single, isolated units of functionality where inter-application connections and sharing of intra-application information components are achieved only by special cooperation between program authors. Although many programmers strive to develop re-usable program code, it is rare that independently developed components can be readily combined into new applications. One of the major reasons for this is that there is no overall agreement as to the types of segments written, how the segments communicate, or how their data is stored. We have created a multimedia applications development architecture called DeSyGNER (the Decision Systems Group Nucleus of Extensible Resources) that provides a type-independent definition of the fundamental information-bearing unit for the construction of data-compatible applications. By incorporating a common high-level architecture and an intrinsically modular object-oriented design, DeSyGNER applications process information in smaller, isolatable, and more mobile and reusable units than do monolithic computer programs.