Subject: Scientific Data Model and IDL Interface

From: Chris _topher_ Lakey <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 24 Sep 1996 19:14:08 -0500

We are in the process of developing a data model for the purpose of
exchanging scientific data between different Navy applications.
The data model will be specified by an English language document
and a set of APIs.  These APIs will be expressed in OMG IDL.

Our work will not be to describe a storage format, but to define
a mechanism to exchange data.  It is possible that someone could
use this API to move data to a file and then restore data using
the API.  It would also be possible to read data from an existing
format (e.g. HDF, netCDF and Plot3D) using the same API, provided
the proper implementation objects exist.  However, the primary
purpose it to provide data transportation between applications such
as simulators, visualization tools, database servers, etc...

Is anyone aware of any previous work using IDL to define interfaces
for a scientific data model?   What is the state of the Data
Interchange facility and will it meet the needs of the scientific
community?

-topher

-- 
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