Common Command Language for Online Interactive Information Retrieval
| Pages | 7-12 |
| Date | 01 April 1987 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb047702 |
| Published date | 01 April 1987 |
| Author | Katharina Klemperer |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Common Command Language for
Online Interactive Information Retrieval
Katharina Klemperer
Because the Common Command Language
was designed primarily with the end-user
in mind, many of the now commonly accepted
principles of user-interface design were
applied in its development. A terse but
English-like syntax and vocabulary were
chosen, with a verb-object structure.
This was chosen in preference to a natural
language because it can express an instruc-
tion briefly, clearly, and precisely, in
contrast to the often verbose ambiguity of
English. The benefits of the Common
Command Language are discussed, as are
remaining problems that will be
encountered in cross-system searching.
At the time of this writing, the proposed
standard for a Common Command Language for
Online Interactive Information Retrieval is being
balloted by members of the National Information
Standards Organization (NISO). By publication
time,
the standard will either be approved or under
revision by the committee to resolve the negative
votes.
This standard has been under development
by NISO Standard Committee G since early in 1985.
It recieved an initial review by NISO members and
interested observers in 1986. The standard committee
was carefully selected to include vendors, database
designers, consultants, and system designers, who
possess a familiarity with information retrieval
principles as implemented in a large number of
systems.
The command language standard aims to pro-
vide a syntax and a core vocabulary for command-
driven user interfaces to information retrieval sys-
tems.
A source of misunderstanding about the
standard is the meaning of conformance to the
standard. (This misunderstanding has led to cri-
ticism that acceptance of the standard will stifle
creative development of new styles of user inter-
faces.) The standard itself states that:
"An information retrieval system
conforms to this standard when the func-
tions it provides are accessible and invok-
able by the commands specified in this
standard; that is, if a function provided
in a particular system is included in
this standard, it shall be available to
the user through a command expression
that conforms to the vocabulary and
Klemperer is Director of Library Automation
at Dartmouth College Library in Hanover, NH.
ISSUE 20 7
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