A Graphical query language for mobile information systems

Abstract

The advance of the mobile computing environment allows data to be accessed in any place at any time, but currently only simple and ad-hoc queries are supported. People are eager for mobile information systems with more functionality and powerful querying facilities. In this paper, a graphical query language called MoSQL is proposed to be the basis of general mobile information systems. It provides a uniform way for users to access alphanumerical data and to query current or future location information, based on an icon-based interface. The interface is particularly suitable for the mobile environment, since it is easily operated by clicking or dragging the mouse. An example and the underlying theoretical framework will be presented in this paper to demonstrate the functionality of MoSQL.