The object and connection space approach to opening up hypermedia structure

Abstract

Open hypermedia emphasises the separation of hypermedia structure and data, typically achieved through the removal of hypermedia mark-up within data.  Such removal enables re-application of the same hypermedia structure to different sets of data.

However, the internal organisation of hypermedia structure does not follow these same separation rules as most hypermedia systems continue to embed mark-up within hypermedia structure.  This violates the principles of open hypermedia since the objects and connections of a hypermedia structure cannot be re-used within other hypermedia structures.  Hence only entire hypermedia structure re-use is possible.  This is not only an inefficient use of resources, but it highlights the anomaly that the objects and connections of open hypermedia structure are not actually open to re-use.

This thesis describes the Object and Connection Space (OCS) data model.  It opens up hypermedia structure by separating the functional and connectional aspects of hypermedia structure.  Once assigned to Object and Connection Spaces the productive re-use of hypermedia structure can begin, either as individual hypermedia objects or as collections of selected hyperstructure segments.  The thesis also explores how the OCS data model, via structure re-use, enables improved structure versioning, in particular the prevention of revision proliferation.  And it considers how the OCS data model benefits the overall maintenance of hypermedia structure by offering a more logical approach to the repair of broken internal routes within hypermedia structure.

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