When making daily decisions, humans seldom have complete or exact information. Yet, traditional query processing systems accept only precisely specified queries, requiring users to fully understand the problem domain and the database structure and content. Further, traditional systems offer only exact answers, returning limited null information if the precise answer is not available. CoBase is an extension to the conventional database notation that remedies these shortcomings. The approximate operator, nearby, is translated into a distance range based on the position of the aircraft, and F-15 is translated into the required runway length and width for landing.
Associative information is user and context sensitive.
CoBase ranks the answers based on the similarity of the specified attributes to those of St. John's.