A query language called the Concise Object Query Language (COQL) is described. COQL is unique in its conciseness, in its support of inheritance, and in the capabilities it provides for defining application-specific structures. The COQL-to-SQL translation, its implementation on top of a commercial relational DBMS, and the ways in which COQL can be used for constructing application-specific views for scientific applications are discussed. The typical three-level architecture approach for supporting data management applications and previous work on the translation of extended entity-relationships schemas into relational database management system schemas are reviewed. >
