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| Paper: |
The SkyView Data Model: Handling Heterogeneous Data Using Dynamic Software |
| Volume: |
521, Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems XXVI |
| Page: |
462 |
| Authors: |
McGlynn, T.; McDonald, L. |
| Abstract: |
The SkyView Virtual Telescope allows users to query over 75 distinct datasets
of astronomical imagery including more than 190 distinct surveys.
These holdings
are extraordinarily diverse ranging over more than 15 orders of magnitude
in frequency and 5 orders of magnitude in resolution.
To accommodate supporting these data, SkyView has developed
a simple data model for surveys.
Nor surprisingly, given the diverse origins of the datasets included, some
surveys do not easily fit within this model.
The conventional approach to dealing with such outliers is to
build a layer on top of the actual data which more faithfully adheres
to the data model.
With SkyView we have used a somewhat alternative approach.
We allow the data model to define new behaviors in the SkyView code itself
either by customizing the use of existing capabilities or pointing to new
classes that have non-standard behavior.
This approach is feasible since in modern computer languages the code that is
run can be selected dynamically with new classes completely overriding traditional
behavior.
This paper describes this approach and considers how it may become
more useful as our software structures become increasingly dynamically linked. |
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