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Virginia Tech

5SGraph: A Modeling Tool for Digital Libraries

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The high demand for building digital libraries by non-experts requires a simplified modeling process and rapid generation of digital libraries. To enable rapid generation, digital libraries should be modeled with descriptive languages. A visual modeling tool would be helpful to non-experts so they may model a digital library without knowing the theoretical foundations and the syntactical details of the descriptive language. In this thesis, we describe the design and implementation of a domain-specific visual modeling tool, 5SGraph, aimed at modeling digital libraries. 5SGraph is based on a metamodel that describes digital libraries using the 5S theory. The output from 5SGraph is a digital library model that is an instance of the metamodel, expressed in the 5S description language (5SL). 5SGraph presents the metamodel in a structured toolbox, and provides a top-down visual building environment for designers. The visual proximity of the metamodel and instance model facilitates requirements gathering and simplifies the modeling process. Furthermore, 5SGraph maintains semantic constraints specified by the 5S metamodel and enforces these constraints over the instance model to ensure semantic consistency and correctness. 5SGraph enables component reuse to reduce the time and efforts of designers. The results from a pilot usability test confirm the usefulness of 5SGraph.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Computer Science
Department dc:contributor.department
Computer Science
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2002

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Zhu, Qinwei
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Fox, Edward A.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Hartson, H. Rex
  • North, Christopher L.

Subjects

dc:subject × 5

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-11272002-210531
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/35832

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Zhu, Qinwei. 5SGraph: A Modeling Tool for Digital Libraries. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/35832