Dynamic XML Query Table Editor (DQT)

Aim

The Dynamic XML Query Table Editor (DQT) is a web application for the management of data collections which content can be well represented in table form. This includes databases storing the results of classifications, characterizations, evaluations or comparisons of distinct entities based on a number of attributes. It was intentionally designed for the management of classification data about visualization methods for the PhD-thesis of Wolfgang Aigner.

Team

Sebastian Skritek, Vienna University of Technology, Student, Vienna, Austria 
Wolfgang Aigner, Vienna University of Technology, Institute of Software Technology and Interactive System, Vienna, Austria 
Silvia Miksch, Vienna University of Technology, Institute of Software Technology and Interactive System, Vienna, Austria 

Status
finished

DQT supports the creation of such databases as well as their presentation and includes the following features:

  • Data Editing: DQT allows to insert/update/delete the entries in the database.
  • Data Presentation: The attribute values of the entries can be either displayed all together for comparison, or each entry can be shown on an extra page.
  • Search: DQT allows querying the database for entries that fulfil criteria specified by the user.
  • Export: (Selected parts of) the stored data can be exported. DQT supports the transformation of the XML formatted export results using XSLT.

It is, however, no management tool for databases collecting only big amounts of data for later evaluation.

DQT was implemented using the "Ajax" approach. This provides a simplified handling of DQT for the user compared to "traditional" web applications. It allows client-server communication in the "background". Because of this, loading or saving of data neither interrupts the user’s online workflow nor requires a reload of the complete current webpage. Therefore, and without requiring any browser plugins, the DQT's user interface responses similar to a desktop application. 

Requirements

The DQT client (implemented in JavaScript) is tested with Firefox 1.5 and Internet Explorer 7. It should therefore also run in all Firefox/Mozilla based browsers, and may also work in other browsers or older versions. 

The DQT server requires PHP 5.1 (with enabled xsl modules) and was tested with MySQL 5.0 (but might run with older versions too). The configuration of DQT further requires XML, SQL and little XSLT skills.

Downloads 

>> Download Dynamic XML Query Table Editor v1.0 (Size: 13 MB)
Needed application (Client): Firefox / IE7
Needed applications (Server): Werbserver, PHP, MySQL

Papers 

  • Skritek, S: Dynamic XML Query Table Editor, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Bacchelor thesis, 2006.
  • Skritek, S: Does it make sense using Ajax for a Dynamic XML Table-Editor? Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Term paper, 2005.