Can music support interfaces to complex databases?

The paper discusses an experimental graphical browsing application for the PCTE OMS and the possibility of using music as an additional communication channel. Experiments suggest that the more information the user requires in browsing, the more complex (and often incomprehensible) the displays. Often graphical browsing displays are simplified at the cost of hiding information from users. This is not always a desirable situation, especially when the hidden information is critical to the user. It is also difficult for one to decide which part of the information will be hidden. Preliminary experimental investigation has shown that the use of simple musical messages, as an additional communication channel, can assist in communicating contents of a software engineering (PCTE OMS) database.