In this chapter we argue that hyperdocuments administered by digital libraries have to be structured according to standardized storage and exchange formats in order to allow for the manipulation functionality required in digital library construction, maintenance and use. We demonstrate how SGML and its extension, HyTime, can play this structuring role, and how multimedia documents structured accordingly can be stored, changed and maintained in the object-oriented database system VODAK. Using the dynamic semantic extension facilities of VODAK it is illustrated how the document structuring dynamics o ered by SGML and HyTime can be accommodated in the database. In addition we discuss how this facility can be combined with other system components to provide a relevant portion of the functionality required for digital libraries.
Klemens Böhm, Karl Aberer, Erich J. Neuhold