Object-orientated design of digital library platforms for multiagent environments

The application of an object-oriented (OO) methodology to the design of a platform for heterogeneous digital libraries with multiagent technologies is demonstrated. Emphasis is placed on maximizing the autonomy of the query processing activity. The Fusion OO paradigm is specifically employed as the basis for the design process due to the significance attributed to the development of object interfaces under static and dynamic conditions. Finally, characteristics of the proposed Domain Index Server (DIS) platform are contrasted with those of an alternative platform (the University of Michigan Digital Library, UMDL) by way of the respective Fusion descriptions. This identifies a different emphasis on the interface design between objects in the two platforms: the DIS system uses more dynamic links while the UMDL system focuses on permanent and constant links. Simulation of the two platforms provides performance data that demonstrates the higher capacity of the DIS scheme.