           =====================================================
           Developing Time-Oriented Database Applications in SQL

                           Richard T. Snodgrass
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1. Format
=========

This CD-ROM is a hybrid disc in ISO 9660 format. The hybrid structure allows
PC, Macintosh, and UNIX users to share the same directory structure and
access common files. UNIX users should consult their system documentation
for information on mounting the CD-ROM as a file system.

2. Introduction
===============

This CD-ROM contains the code fragments implemented in a variety of
commercial systems, including IBM DB2 Universal Database, Ingres,
Informix-Universal Server, Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, Sybase
SQLServer, Oracle8 Server, and UniSQL. While these code fragments have been
tested, the author and the publisher make no claims as to their suitability
or correctness.

Also included are versions of the programs discussed in the book.

Finally, some links to the World Wide Web are included. As the Web pages
referenced by these links are out of our control, the author and the
publisher make no claims as to their suitability.

3. Getting Started
==================

     Web browser : Microsoft Internet Explorer (4.0 or higher)
                   Netscape Navigator (4.0 or higher)

     PDF reader  : Adobe Acrobat Reader (3.0 or higher)

To view the contents of this CD-ROM you must install a Web browser and
Acrobat Reader+Search 3.0. The latest version of Netscape Navigator can be
obtained at http://www.netscape.com/computing/download/index.html. The
latest version of Microsoft Internet Explorer can be obtained at
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.htm.

Included on the CD-ROM are Acrobat Reader+Search 3.0 for Windows (3.x, 9x,
and NT), Apple Macintosh, IBM OS/2, and Unix (Linux, Solaris, and SunOS).
Refer to acrobat/doc.htm on the CD-ROM for more information on installing
this from the CD-ROM.

Once you have installed the Acrobat Reader and a Web browser, use the Web
browser to open cover.htm to load the welcome page. This page links to the
table of contents.

3. Navigation Tips
==================

The contents page provides links to Chapters 3 through 12
(Chapters 1, 2, and 13 do not have ancillary content on this CD-ROM).
Note that some of the links point to the same page. For example, both
Chapters 3 and 4 link to datatype/index.htm, which provides
information on instants, intervals, and periods. Similarly, Chapters 5-7
all point to a Web page on valid-time state tables.

Each chapter contains an index.htm file. This file contains generic
information about each chapter and links to the DBMS-specific index.htm
file.

Each DBMS implementation in each chapter has ONE .htm file containing all
DBMS-specific information for that chapter. As these were developed in
parallel with the writing of the book, the numbering of the code fragments
on the CD-ROM may not always correspond to the numbering of the code
fragments in the book itself.

This DBMS-Specific HTML file is divided into three sections

     Contents - Briefly lists the major headings on the page.
                Usually fits in one page.

     Outline  - Complete hierarchy of headings in the HTML page.
                This is useful for people who may not know what exactly
                they are looking for.

     Body     - Contains the DBMS-specific data, results, and links for
                that chapter. Note that each major chapter/heading has
                links back to the outline, contents, and top of page.

Instead of referencing code fragments like other chapter pages do, the
Language Directions page references

     - white papers, technical reports, and proposals (SQL/Temporal, TSQL2,
          TimeCenter, and KPN links)

     - prototypes you can transfer to your hard disk and run
          (TimeDB1 and TimeDB2 links)

     - information and Web pages on systems (Tiger and Synchrony links).




