AUDIO SUPPORT FOR AN OBJECT-ORIENTED DATABASE-MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

We describe the development of the data type audio in an object-oriented database management system (DBMS). The interface of the data type includes operations to store, retrieve, and manipulate audio data. Additionally, a transport protocol supports continuous recording and presentation at the users' workstations in a client-server environment. Design considerations are outlined and lead us to use no compression algorithms and to handle parametrized sample rates and sizes transparently for the user. Specific manipulation operations, such as low-pass filtering and dynamic compression, are described in detail. The implementation of an interactive audio tool shows that the data type audio can be used in the same way as conventional data types. We give an outlook on further built-in support of time-dependent media that a comprehensive multimedia DBMS should offer.