1. L. Wong. “Kleisli: A Functional Query System.” Journal of Functional Programming 10, no. 1 (2000): 19–56.
AADM The Affymetrix Analysis Data Model. The relational database schema the Affymetrix LIMS and MicroDB systems use to store GeneChip expression results.
aggregation A computation whose result value depends on a stream of input values, such as an average, sum, or standard deviation.
API (application programming interface) This is composed of any set of routines generally available for use by programmers to provide portable code. The programmer only has to worry about the call and its parameters and not the details of implementation, which may vary from system to system.
ASN1 Abstract Syntax Notation One. This is an ISO standard for open systems interconnection.
automatic summary table A special table created to cache the results of a specific query against other tables. Subsequently, when another query is submitted, the query processor may be able to deduce that the new query can be rewritten as a query against the cached result. Using the pre-computed result in this way can have a large performance benefit. The downside is that the automatic summary table must be maintained as the underlying tables are updated.
autonomy of databases Degree of control of the database into an integration architecture that includes what transactions are permissible, how it executes transactions, and so on. In the context of integration of distributed resources, examples of integration affecting the autonomy of each resource are tight integration, semi-autonomous integration, and total isolation. They respectively characterize a lack of control, moderate control, and total control. Autonomy is the second characterization of integration with distribution.
bag A data type that represents a homogeneous collection of objects such that the order of appearance of these objects in the collection is unimportant, but the number of occurrences is important. Unlike a set, a value may occur multiple times in a bag.
bindjoin A federated join algorithm in which the federated server ships values of the join column(s) from one of the tables to the remote data source that stores the other table. The remote source searches its table for rows with matching values, and returns these to the federated server.
BLAST The Basic Local Alignment Search Tool. Used to compare a gene or protein sequence against other sequences.
blastn An implementation of BLAST used for nucleotide-nucleotide comparisons.
blastp An implementation of BLAST used for protein-protein comparisons.
BLOB Binary Large Object. A data type for representing a long string of binary data (e.g., an image or a video) whose internal structure is unknown to the database management system. Due to their potential for great size, database systems typically manage BLOB data with special techniques to eliminate unnecessary copying and allow random access to sub-pieces. Unlike a CLOB, a BLOB is not associated with a particular character set or encoding.
Boolean circuit A family of Boolean circuits is an infinite collection of acyclic Boolean circuits made up of AND, OR, and NOT gates.
box plots An excellent tool for conveying location and variation information in data sets, particularly for detecting and illustrating location and variation changes between different groups of data.
browsing The act of accessing information available on the World Wide Web. This is typically an interactive process, with a person examining Web pages and following links.
bulk data type Refers to data types that are collections of objects. Examples of bulk data types are sets, bags, lists, and arrays.
CDATA Textual portion of an XML document that is ignored by the parser.
cDNA Complementary DNA. DNA copies of the mRNA expressed in a specified tissue.
CLI Call-Level Interface. A general-purpose interface to IBM DB2 that conforms to ODBC 2.0 level 2 and ODBC 3.0 level 1, but can be used without an ODBC driver. It also supports some ODBC 3.0 level 2 functions, as well as some DB2-specific functions.
CLOB Character Large Object. A data type for representing a long string of character data (e.g., a text document or genomic sequence) whose internal structure is unknown to the database management system. Due to their potential for great size, database systems typically manage CLOB data with special techniques to eliminate unnecessary copying and allow random access to sub-pieces. A CLOB is associated with a specific character set, and character codes will be translated appropriately when it is retrieved.
CNS tissue Central nervous system tissue.
co-clustered fragment Gene fragments derived from the same UniGene cluster or consensus sequence cluster.
CPL (Collection Programming Language) A high-level query language based on the comprehension syntax and supported by Kleisli.1
comparative genomics The study of human genetics by comparisons with model organisms such as mice, fruit flies, and the bacterium E. coli.
complex value data Data whose type system includes not only simple types such as strings, and numbers, but also arbitrarily nested sets, lists, bags, records, and variants.
Conceptual Model (CM) An abstraction of the objects represented in an application, as well as their properties and their relationships, that provides a conceptual representation of the application. CMs typically capture the class and object structure as well as domain-specific relationships of the modeled world. CMs can be expressed in a variety of ways such as through entity-relationship diagrams (ER), class diagrams in the Unified Modeling Language (UML), or by using formal approaches based on first-order predicate logic.
CORBA Common Object Request Broker Architecture. An OMG standard for an architecture and infrastructure that allows computer applications to work together over networks.
database (DB) A collection of information organized in such a way that a computer program can quickly select desired pieces of data (see database management system).
database management system A collection of programs that enables storing, accessing, modifying, and extracting information in a database.
data cleansing (Also called data scrubbing) This is the process of amending or removing data in a database that is incorrect, incomplete, improperly formatted, or duplicated. See also data curation.
data curation The process of storing and checking the accuracy of data so they remain accessible indefinitely. When applied in the context of multiple data sources, this also implies the reconciliation of semantic conflicts that may arise from conflicting information.
data fusion The process of deriving insight from information acquired from multiple sources (sensor, databases, information gathered by human, etc.) of which data integration is a key step. The term was first used by the military to correlate and analyze information in time and space, to identify and track individual objects (equipment and units), to assess the situation, to determine threats, and to detect patterns in activity.
data integration A process that combines data from multiple, possibly heterogeneous and inconsistent, data sources into a single, consistent source.
data mining Analyzing, exploring, or clustering a data set with statistical techniques.
data model Provides the means for specifying particular data structures, for constraining the data associated with these structures, and for manipulating the data within a database system. To handle data outside the database system, this traditional definition is extended to include a data exchange format, which is a means for bringing data outside the database system into it and also for moving data inside the database system to the outside.
data-shipping Within the client/server context, data-shipping consists of transferring the data from the client to the server and performing the execution of the query at the server. (See query-shipping for an alternate approach.)
data source Any data repository (e.g., database, flat files).
data type Classifies a particular type of information. Examples of data types are: integer, floating point, number, character, and string. (See bulk data type.)
data warehouse A collection of data integrated from multiple sources and contained within a unique system, usually a database. Data needs to be translated to a common format, cleansed, and reconciled before being integrated into the data warehouse. It constitutes a subject-oriented, integrated, time variant, and nonvolatile data repository.
Datalog A query language that allows users to access and manipulate data contained in predicates through if-then-else rules.
DBMS (See database management system.)
description logics Knowledge representation languages tailored for expressing knowledge about concepts and concept hierarchies.
distributed database systems. A collection of logically interrelated databases, distributed at multiple sites and connected by a computer network such that each database has autonomous processing capability and participates in the execution of queries that are split across multiple sites. Distribution of databases characterizes the fact that the data are split over several databases. Distribution is the second characterization of databases with autonomy.
DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid. A linear nucleic acid polymer composed of four kinds of nucleotides: Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, Cytosine. In native form inside the nucleus, it is a double-helix of two anti-parallel strands held together by hydrogen bonds. DNA is the carrier of genetic information for many species.
DNA microarray A mechanism for massively parallel gene expression and gene discovery studies in which probes (or oligonucleotide sequences) with known identity are placed on glass or nylon substrates and used to determine complementary binding through hybridization. A synonym for this is probe array.
DNA sequencing The experimental process of determining the nucleotide sequence of a region of DNA. This is done by labelling each nucleotide (A, C, G, or T) with either a radioactive or fluorescent marker that identifies it. There are several methods of applying this technology, each with its advantages and disadvantages. For more information, refer to a current textbook. High throughput laboratories frequently use automated sequencers, which are capable of rapidly reading large numbers of templates. Sometimes the sequences may be generated more quickly than they can be characterized.
domain map (DM) A kind of ontology to denote semantic networks of terms and their relationships. A precise meaning can be associated to DMs via a logic formalization. DMs are used to express terminological knowledge.
ER model Entity-relationship model. A data model consisting of entity classes and relationships traditionally used to describe relational database schema.
enzyme A biological macromolecule, usually a protein, that acts as a catalyst. Enzyme Nomenclature Committee classifies these molecular activities by assigning a unique Enzyme Catalogue (EC) number.
EST sequence Expressed Sequence Tags. Short sequence fragments (<200 base pairs) that are known to express collectively in a given tissue or a pool of tissue. Clusters of these sub-fragments assembled into consensus sequences act as identifiers of genes or transcripts expressed in that tissue.
extensional database (EDB) Refers to (i) the set of tuples (i.e., “facts”) stored in a database and/or (ii) the relational schema of the tuples/facts which are stored directly in a database.
federation A collection of semi-autonomous, distributed databases in which each database has significant autonomy while still providing the capability to access integrated resources in a unified manner.
First Order logic (FO) is the logic that can only quantify over sets of values. Second-order logic can quantify over functions, and higher-order logic can quantify over any type of entity.
foreign key This is a field in a relational table that matches the primary key column of another table. The foreign key can be used to cross-reference tables.
functional genomics The study of genes, their resulting proteins, and the role played by the proteins in the body’s biochemical processes.
functional programming languages Programming languages that emphasize a particular paradigm of programming technique known as “functional programming.” In this paradigm, all programs are expressed as mathematical functions and are generally free from side effects. Examples of functional programming languages are LISP, Haskell, and SML.
gene An abstract entity that is the fundamental physical and functional unit of heredity. A gene is an ordered sequence of nucleotides located in a particular position on a particular chromosome that encodes a specific functional product (i.e., a protein or RNA molecule).
GeneChip Affymetrix whole genome arrays or dynamic custom arrays.
gene expression The process by which a gene’s coded information is converted into the structures present and operating in the cell. Expressed genes include those that are transcribed into mRNA and then translated into protein and those that are transcribed into RNA but not translated into protein (e.g., transfer and ribosomal RNAs).
gene fragment An abstract sub-sequence fragment of a representative target transcript (mRNA) from which the individual probes or oligo sequences are derived. Synonyms include composite target sequence, probe set, sequence fragment, and target sequence.
gene product The biochemical material, either RNA or protein, resulting from expression of a gene. The amount of gene product is used to measure how active a gene is; abnormal amounts can be correlated with disease-causing alleles.
genome All the genetic material in the chromosomes of a particular organism; its size is generally given as its total number of base pairs.
genome project See Human Genome Initiative.
genomics The study of genes and their function.
gene chip microarray technology Development of cDNA microarrays from a large number of genes. Used to monitor and measure changes in gene expression for each gene represented on the chip.
global schema A single, unifying, semantically consistent view of data contained in multiple, distributed, heterogeneous data sources.
global-as-view (GAV) An integration approach is global-as-view (GAV) when the global schema is expressed with respect to the source schemas (the schemas of the integrated sources). Queries asked against the global schema are easily translated into source queries by replacing the meaning of each relation and attribute of the global schema with its definition in terms of the source schemas. GAV is an alternative to LAV.
grid Grid computing is a form of distributed computing that involves coordinating and sharing computing, application, data, storage, or network resources across dynamic and geographically dispersed organizations.
heterogeneous databases Used in the context of distributed databases when systems differ in some way, such as data representation, query language, or semantics.
host variable The SQL representation for an application program variable. A host variable can be the container for data inserted into or retrieved from the database, or it can represent a query parameter whose value will be supplied by the application just prior to execution of the query.
HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol.
Human Genome Initiative Collective name for several projects begun in 1986 by the U.S. Department of Energy to create an ordered set of DNA segments from known chromosomal locations, to develop new computational methods for analyzing genetic map and DNA sequence data, and to develop new techniques and instruments for detecting and analyzing DNA. This DOE initiative is now known as the Human Genome Program. The joint national effort, led by DOE and National Institutes of Health, is now known as the Human Genome Project.
Human Genome Project (HGP) Formerly titled Human Genome Initiative.
hybridization The biochemical process by which two complementary, single-stranded nucleic acid chains form a stable, double-stranded helix chain. DNA microarrays use hybridization reactions to assay target transcripts extracted from the samples.
intensional database (IDB) Refers to (i) the set of tuples (i.e., virtual relations) in a database, which are defined by means of logic rules (e.g., Datalog formulas or SQL “create view” statements) and/or (ii) the relational schema of the virtual relations defined by those rules.
ISA relationship When between two entities, captures the notion of generalization The opposite or inverse of generalization is called specialization. If “A” ISA “B”, then “B” is the more generic concept and A is the specific concept. The most significant property of an ISA relationship is that of inheritance. All that is specified to be true about the generic concept is also true for the specific concept. That means that all attributes, their values, and constraint (rules) are inherited from the more generic level concept down to the more specific level concept as are all relationships in which the more generic level concept participates.
ISDK InSilico Discovery Kit describes experimental steps carried out in computers the same way an experimental protocol describes the steps carried out in a wet laboratory.
ISO International Organization for Standardization. An international standards-making body.
JDBC Java DataBase Connectivity. JDBC technology is an application programming interface (API) that provides cross-database connectivity to a wide range of relational database systems from the Java programming language. It also provides access to other tabular data sources, such as spreadsheets or flat files.
K2MDL The K2 mediator definition language, a high-level language that extends ODMG’s ODL with OQL definitions and variants.
KEGG Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. An effort to computerize current knowledge of molecular and cellular biology in terms of the information pathways that consist of interacting molecules or genes and to provide links from the gene catalogs produced by genome sequencing projects.
known gene Refers to officially approved genes by the model organism nomenclature committee. For example, HUGO is for humans.
Kripke structure Modal logics provide a general framework for reasoning about what is necessarily or possibly true, in particular when dealing with several “possible worlds” that are reachable from one another by a temporal accessibility relation. Kripke structures are families of conventional first-order logic structures (one for each “possible world”), which may be reachable from one another as described by the accesibility relation R.
LIMS Laboratory Information Management System. Software that helps manage the workflow and data associated with a laboratory.
link-driven federation of databases This type of federation allows a set of data sources to be browsed by a user who asks a single retrieval query and then explores the output by browsing from one source to the other via hyperlinks. An example of a link-driven federation is SRS.
LISP This is a programming language invented by John McCarthy in the late 1950s as a formalism for reasoning about the use of recursion equations as a model for computation.
list A data type that represents a homogeneous collection of objects such that both the order of appearance and the number of occurrences of objects in the collection are important.
local-as-view (LAV) An integration approach is local-as-view when the source schemas are expressed by means of the global schema. Queries asked against the global schema are translated into source queries by replacing the sub-query-defining schema components of source schemas. An alternative approach to LAV is global-as-view.
LOGSPACE The class of problems solvable in deterministic logarithmic space. materialized query table See automatic summary table.
materialized view The cached result of a query against a database. The query can restructure or be intended to load data into a data warehouse. (See also automatic summary table.)
mediator A middleware component of a database integration infrastructure that translates data from fully autonomous distributed heterogeneous data sources to a semantically consistent representation. Mediators do not assume that integrated sources will all be relational databases; instead, they can be various database systems (relational, object-relational, object, XMLetc.), flat files, and so on.
MGED The Microarray Gene Expression Data society. An international organization for facilitating the sharing of microarray data from functional genomics and proteomics experiments.
MIAME Minimum information about a microarray experiment. This is a set of guidelines developed by the MGED Society to outline the minimum information required to unambiguously interpret microarray data and subsequently to allow independent verification of this data at a later stage if required.
microarray See DNA microarray.
middleware Connectivity software that consists of a set of enabling services that allow multiple processes running on one or more machines to interact across a network.
ML (meta language) A functional programming language.
model-based mediation (MBM) A wrapper/mediator approach and architecture for information integration in which representations of domain semantics (domain maps, process maps, and semantic integrity constraints) are used to facilitate queries across sources.
mRNA A single-stranded ribonucleic acid molecule derived from the DNA template of a gene when the gene is transcribed during the gene expression process, which takes place in the nucleus of the cell. mRNA specifies the order of the amino acids to be coded in a protein by the translation process which takes place inside the cytoplasm of cell. Its role is to transmit instructions from DNA sequences in the nucleus to the protein-making machinery in the cytoplasm of the cell.
multi-database A system consisting of fully autonomous distributed databases. The integration component is in charge of providing the user with a query language to query integrated resources, executing the query by collecting needed data from each integrated resource, and returning the result to the user.
non-materialized view The result of a query that is not cached and restructure a database. The query that defines the non-materialized view, usually is stored as a functional definition of the data contained within it, and it is this function that is used to recreate the view dynamically on demand.
NP (NPTIME) The set of problems solvable in non-deterministic polynomial time that cannot be solved deterministically in polynomial time.
NP-complete A set of problems in NP such that any NP problem reduces to it.
NRC Nested Relational Calculus.
object-oriented model An approach to programming and data storage in which objects are the primary concepts. In this approach, data and functionality are tightly coupled. Methods are associated with an object and are the only way to manipulate or access the data contained within that object. This approach also makes use of concepts such as object inheritance, which may not be available in other models.
Object Query Language (OQL) A query language that allows users to access and manipulate data contained in object-oriented databases such as those formalized by the ODMG.
ODBC Open DataBase Connectivity. A widely accepted application programming interface for database access. It is based on the call-level interface specifications from X/Open and ISO/IEC for database APIs, and SQL is its database access language.
ODL Object Definition Language. A standard for object definition specified by the ODMG.
ODMG Object Data Management Group. A standard-making body for object-oriented databases.
OIL (Ontology Inference Layer) A proposal for a Web-based representation and inference layer for ontologies, which combines the widely used modeling primitives from frame-based languages with the formal semantics and reasoning services provided by description logics.
OLAP (on-line analytical processing) OLAP transforms raw data so that it reflects the real dimensionality of the enterprise as understood by the user.
OMG Object Management Group A standard-setting body focused on developing standards for interoperable enterprise applications.
one-world/multiple-world scenarios Here “world” means a coherent fragment of an application domain (i.e., classes of objects and their relationships, that naturally belong together and form a coherent domain, and where the relationships among the objects and classes is evident). Thus, a one-world mediation scenario can be solved without additional cross-world knowledge, while a multiple-world scenario often requires specialized knowledge to bridge semantic gaps.
ontology A description of concepts and relationships that exist among the concepts for a particular domain of knowledge. In the world of structured information and databases, ontologies in life science provide controlled vocabularies for terminology as well as specifying object classes, relations, and functions.
OQL Object Query Language. A standard for querying object-oriented databases specified by the ODMG.
primary key Primary key of a relational table uniquely identifies each record in the table. It can either be a normal attribute that is guaranteed to be unique (such as a Social Security number in a table with no more than one record per person), or it can be generated by the DBMS (such as a globally unique identifier, or GUID, in Microsoft SQL Server).
probe The individual 25mer sub-sequences that are tiled on a microarray. These are derived from the gene fragments that collectively detect the target transcript. Synonyms used are oligonucleotide sequence and target sequence.
process map (PM) A kind of ontology used in model-based mediation to describe semantic networks of procedural knowledge (i.e., the processes of a domain and how they influence and depend on each other). (See also domain maps.)
proteome Proteins expressed by a cell or organ at a particular time and under specific conditions.
proteomics The study of the full set of proteins encoded by a genome.
pharmacogenomics The study of the interaction of an individual’s genetic makeup and response to a drug.
P (PTIME) The class of problems solvable in deterministic polynomial time.
query A program written in a database query language for retrieving and transforming information in a database.
querying Accessing and manipulating a data source using a query language.
query language A language that enables users to access and manipulate data, usually stored within a database management system. Examples of query languages are the relational algebra, the Structural Query Language (SQL), the database logic (Datalog), the Object Query Language (OQL), and XQuery.
query-shipping In the client/server context, query-shipping consists of partially or completely performing a query at the client site and sending only the results to the server. (See data-shipping for an alternate approach.)
RDF The Resource Description Framework (RDF) integrates a variety of applications including library catalogs and World Wide Web directories; syndication and aggregation of news, software, and content; and personal collections of music, photos, and events using XML as an interchange syntax. The RDF specifications provide a lightweight ontology system to support the exchange of knowledge on the Web.
record A data type that represents an object comprising several data fields. Each data field has a name and a value.
relational algebra A query language that allows users to access and manipulate data contained in relations with algebraic operators: union, intersection, difference, selection, projection, Cartesian product, join, and renaming.
relational model The standard data model used in commercial database management systems. This data model is based on the relational algebra and presents data as a collection of tables. Each table represents a complex data type, and each column represents an attribute. Each row in a table contains an instance of that type.
schema The physical data representation in a database system. It characterizes the way the data is organized in the system (e.g., tables, relations, classes, entities, concepts, etc.).
schema integration The process of mapping source schemas to a global, integrated schema. It consists in (1) identifying the components of a database that are related to one another, (2) selecting the best representation for the global schema, and (3) mapping and integrating the components.
searching Accessing a data source through a phrase (string of characters, keyword, DNA sequence, etc.) or a Boolean expression of phrases. The output is the set of strings (documents, sequences, etc.) that are similar to the given phrase.
semantic mediation. See model-based mediation.
Semantic Web This is a collaborative effort led by the W3C aiming to represent data on the World Wide Web. It is based on the Resource Description Framework (RDF), which integrates a variety of applications using XML for syntax and URIs for naming.
set A data type that represents a homogeneous collection of objects such that the order of appearance and the number of occurrences of these objects in the collection are unimportant.
SGML Standard Generalized Markup Language.
Skolem functions Or more precisely, Skolem function symbols (after Albert Thoralf Skolem, 1987–1963) are used to create symbolic names when eliminating existential quantifiers in first-order logic statements. For example the formula: 
states that each person P has a mother M. One can obtain a formula that is equivalent with respect to satisfiability by replacing the existential quantifier by a new unary function symbol f_m(X) denoting the mother of X: 
In general, a Skolem function depends on those universal quantifiers in whose scope it occurs (here: ∀P).
SML Standard Markup Language. A programming language based on the functional programming paradigm. In this paradigm, all programs are expressed as mathematical functions and are generally free from side effects.
SNP Single nucleotide polymorphism.
SOAP The Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) Version 1.2 provides the definition of the XML-based information which can be used for exchanging structured and typed information between peers in a decentralized, distributed environment.
sSQL Simplified SQL. An SQL-like query language supported by Kleisli. It extends SQL to the nested relational data model and to multiple, heterogeneous, distributed data sources.
stored procedure A piece of application code, typically including one or more database accesses, that is invoked by the client-side portion of a database application but is executed on the database server. Stored procedures typically are used to reduce client-server communication when multiple accesses to the database are required between interactions with the user.
Structured Query Language (SQL) The standard query language for expressing queries and transformation on relational database management systems. It allows access and manipulation of data with select-from-where statements.
systems biology A new field in biology that is attempting to develop a system-level understanding of biological systems. System-level understanding requires understanding the structures and behaviors of systems as a whole, as well as how to control and design them.
table expression A query language construct that represents data whose value is a table, rather than a scalar value or row. Examples include a reference to a database table, the result of a table function, and a subquery.
target sequence See gene fragment.
TC° This is the class of those languages recognized by polynomial-size, bouded-depth, unbounded fan-in (e.g., maximum number of inputs) Boolean circuits augmented by threshold gates (i.e., unbounded fan-in gates that output 1 if and only if more than half of their outputs are non-zero).
transcription The process of synthesizing mRNA from a sequence of DNA (a gene) template.
transcriptome The full complement of activated genes, mRNAs, or transcripts in a particular tissue at a particular time.
translation The process by which the genetic code carried by mRNA directs the synthesis of proteins from amino acids.
UML (Unified Modeling Language) The industry-standard language for specifying, visualizing, constructing, and documenting the artifacts of software systems.
UMLS Unified Medical Language System.
URI Uniform Resource Identifiers (also known as URLs).
URL Uniform Resource Locators (also known as URIs) are short strings that identify resources in the Web: documents, images, downloadable files, services, electronic mailboxes, and other resources. They make resources available under a variety of naming schemes and access methods such as HTTP, FTP, and Internet mail addressable in the same simple way.
variant A data type representing an object that is one of several types. Variant types enables to consider data of different types within the same composed type.
view A structured presentation of the data contained within a database. The default view of data is the view of the data as defined by the global schema. However, alternative views (e.g., data summaries) may be presented to provide additional insight into the data.
view integration A virtual integration of multiple data sources.
XA An industry-standard interface for transaction management that is based on the X/Open specification. XA allows multiple compliant data managers to cooperate in a single transaction and ensures that all updates in the transaction are either committed or rolled back as a group, regardless of which data manager made each change.
XML Extensible Markup Language. A simple, very flexible text format derived from SGML that is a standard format for structured documents and data on the World Wide Web.
XQuery A standard query language that allows users to access and manipulate data contained in XML documents.
W3C The World Wide Web (WWW) Consortium.
workflow Workflows are used in business applications to assess, analyze, model, define, and implement the core business processes of an organization (or other business entity). A workflow approach automates the business procedures where documents, information, or tasks are passed between participants according to a defined set of rules to achieve, or contribute to, an overall business goal. In the context of scientific applications, a workflow approach may address overall collaborative issues among scientists, as well as the physical integration of scientific data and tools.
wrapper A wrapper is generally used within a mediator-wrapper architecture for integrating multiple data sources. Each data source typically is accessed through an existing interface program. However, the mediator program is unable to communicate directly with this existing interface program, often because of some input–output format incompatibility. A wrapper is a program that handles this incompatibility so the mediator program can communicate with the interface program.