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From: dano@ssc-vax.UUCP (Dan Olson)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng,alt.hypertext
Subject: Hypertext applied to S/W libraries
Keywords: hypertext hypermedia library hype in general
Message-ID: <2542@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Date: 15 Mar 89 02:18:31 GMT
Organization: Boeing Aerospace Corp., Seattle WA
Lines: 33


I am currently involved in a project in which we want to make it
easier to search a large library of software tools and systems
(about 4000 entries) by using hypertext techniques.  The idea is to
allow someone to find desired s/w without having to know exactly
what it is.  Being able to browse through hierarchies and follow
cross reference links to related items seems to be a possible solution.

Since this library already exists in a vanilla database form, there
is a potential problem in making all the necessary hypertext links
between items.  A goal is to come up with some automated linking
schemes.  One idea is to have a programmable link generator that can
be setup to link certain items together when specific conditions are
met.

-- QUESTIONS --

1) What hypertext(media) tools are available that like to run on
   Suns, Macs, and/or, Vaxen?

2) Has anybody worked this kind of problem before (specifically
   using hypertext to search and browse a s/w library)?

3) What has been done so far that addresses the automatic link
   generation problem?

Personally, I think that automated link generation is an interesting
problem and one that needs to be solved if large amounts of existing
information are to be hypermedia-ized.

Any ideas?

				dano.