QBE/PC: The design of an integrated software system for a personal computer

Abstract

Integrated software has become rather popular in recent years. After the spreadsheet found wide acceptance among application users, many vendors rushed to integrate several well-defined business application tasks within a spreadsheet environment. Such systems, however, are limited in that they cannot replace a conventional database. Businesses must keep data in a formal database to maintain data consistency and facilitate sharing. This paper describes the design and implementation of an integrated software system which captures the ease-of-use of many of the current integrated systems, and also provides a relational database for common data storage, allowing for data sharing among several integrated business applications. In addition, the system provides an unusually powerful visual interface which can be used to build custom applications without the need for traditional programming.