How can information be organized and retrieved by positioning it in a graphical data space (GDS)? This paper introduces spatial data management, a technique that organizes and retrieves data by positioning it in a graphical data space (GDS). Spatial data management system (SDMS) presents the information graphically to encourage browsing. This contrasts with conventional database management systems, where users access data by formal queries. SDMS provides the information in a form that encourages browsing. It describes the implementation of SDMS in a prototype system for retrieving information from both a symbolic database management system and an optical videodisk. This innovation in data visualization and access could impact the design of future database systems and information interfaces.
Published in ACM Transactions on Database Systems, this paper on spatial data management aligns with the journal's focus on innovative approaches to organizing and accessing data. The introduction of SDMS and its prototype implementation provide a novel perspective on database interaction, adding to the discourse on alternative data management strategies. This contribution would be significant for the readers of the journal.