Keyword search over relational databases

Abstract

This paper presents a tool that enables non-technical (naïve) end-users to use free-form queries in exploring relational databases with simple and direct technique, in a fashion similar to using search engines to search text files on the web. This allows web designers and database developers to publish their databases for web browsers exploring. The proposed approach can be used for both Internet and Intranet application areas. Our technique has been borrowed from the similar techniques used for information retrieval (IR), mainly for text and document databases; it supports working smoothly with the structured information stored in relational databases.