This paper combines the vocabulary of semiotics and category theory to provide a formal analysis of visualization. It shows how familiar processes of visualization fit the semiotic frameworks of both Saussure and Peirce, and extends these structures using the tools of category theory to provide a general framework for understanding visualization in practice, including: Relationships between systems, data collected from those systems, renderings of those data in the form of representations, the reading of those representations to create visualizations, and the use of those visualizations to create knowledge and understanding of the system under inspection. The resulting framework is validated by demonstrating how familiar information visualization concepts (such as literalness, sensitivity, redundancy, ambiguity, generalizability, and chart junk) arise naturally from it and can be defined formally and precisely. This paper generalizes previous work on the formal characterization of visualization by, inter alia, Ziemkiewicz and Kosara and allows us to formally distinguish properties of the visualization process that previous work does not.

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This paper proposes an approach for migrating existing Relational DataBases (RDBs) into Object-Relational DataBases (ORDBs). The approach is superior to existing proposals as it can generate not only the target schema but also the data instances. The solution takes an existing RDB as input, enriches its metadata representation with required semantics, and generates an enhanced canonical data model, which captures essential characteristics of the target ORDB, and is suitable for migration. A prototype has been developed, which migrates successfully RDBs into ORDBs (Oracle 11 g ) based on the canonical model. The experimental results were very encouraging, demonstrating that the proposed approach is feasible, efficient and correct.

Abstract. This paper presents an investigation into approaches and techniques used for database conversion. Constructing object views on top of a Relational DataBase (RDB), simple database integration and database migration are among these approaches. We present a categorisation of selected works proposed in the literature and translation techniques used for the problem of database conversion, concentrating on migrating an RDB as source into object-based and XML databases as targets. Database migration from the source into each of the targets is discussed in detail including semantic enrichment, schema translation and data conversion. Based on a detailed analysis of the existing literature, we conclude that an existing RDB can be migrated into object-based/XML databases according to available database standards. We propose an integrated method for migrating an RDB into object-based/XML databases using an intermediate Canonical Data Model (CDM), which enriches the source database's semantics and captures characteristics of the target databases. A prototype has been implemented, which successfully translates CDM into object-oriented (ODMG 3.0 ODL), object-relational (Oracle 10g) and XML schemas.

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