ConceptBase is a deductive object base management system for meta databases. Its data model is a conceptual modeling language making it particularily well-suited for design applications. Earlier prototypes [JJR88, EJJ*89] have been used in projects ranging from development support for data-intensive applications [JMSV90], requirements engineering [RD92], and version&configuration management [RJG*91] to co-authoring of technical documents [HJEK90].
The key features distinguishing ConceptBase from other extended DBMS and expert systems shells are:
ConceptBase implements a version of the knowledge representation language Telos [MBJK90]. Telos integrates a thoroughly axiomatized structurally object-oriented kernel with a predicative assertion language in the style of deductive databases. A complete formal definition can be found in [JGJ*95, JEUS92]. Telos is viewed as a hybrid knowledge representation language integrating ideas from frame-like concept description languages and deductive databases. This hybrid character suggests a hypertext-style combination of (graphical) semantic network views and (textual) frame representations at the user interface. Both Telos views are based on the common logical representation so that they can be treated in a completely symmetrical way, both for purposes of querying/browsing and of editing/manipulation.