FramerD Home Page

<head> <title>FramerD</title> <link rel=stylesheet type="text/css" href="/fdsite.css"> <style> span.bmm { color: rgb(255,0,0);} span.bme { color: rgb(228,100,17);} span.bmt { color: rgb(10,80,161);} span.bma { color: rgb(129,23,136);} </style> </head> <body> <TABLE ALIGN=LEFT HSPACE=0 VSPACE=0 CELLSPACING=5 PADDING=0> <TR> <TD class='abbouttag' ALIGN=RIGHT> <img src="/images/framerd-logo.png" alt="[FramerD]"><BR></TH> <TH VALIGN=TOP ALIGN=LEFT> <img src="/images/framerd-title.png" alt="FramerD Home Page"></TH> <TH VALIGN=TOP ALIGN=RIGHT> Hosted by<BR> <A HREF="http://sourceforge.net"> <IMG SRC="http://sourceforge.net/sflogo.php?group_id=32479&type=1" width="88" height="31" border="0" alt="SourceForge Logo"></A> </TR> <TR><TD class='abouttag'></TD> <TD>[<A HREF="download.html">download</A>]  [<A HREF="docs/">documentation</A>]</TD></TR> <TR><TD class='abouttag'>what's new?</TD> <TD class='aboutcontent'> 22 January 2005 [<A HREF="/news/framerd26.html">FramerD 2.6 is released for Unix, WIN32, and OS X!</A>]<BR> </TD></TR> <TR><TD class='abouttag'>what is<BR>FramerD?</TD> <TD class='aboutcontent'><strong>FramerD</strong> is a portable distributed object-oriented database designed to support the maintenance and sharing of knowledge bases. Unlike other object-oriented databases, FramerD is optimized for the sort of <em>pointer-intensive</em> data structures used by semantic networks, frame systems, and many intelligent agent applications. FramerD databases readily include millions of searchable frames and may be distributed over multiple networked machines. FramerD includes an extensive scripting language based on <strong>Scheme</strong> with special support for web-based interfaces.<BR/> <strong>FramerD</strong> is implemented in ANSI C and has been compiled for a wide range of platforms, including many varieties of Unix and WIN32. In addition, experimental Java and Lisp libraries exist for accessing FramerD databases and services.<BR/> FramerD's development is primarily supported by <a href='http://www.beingmeta.com/'><strong>being<span class='bmm'>m<span class='bme'>e<span class='bmt'>t<span class='bma'>a</span></span></span></span></strong></a>, a company developing the next generation of tools for knowledge-based search, interaction, and automation. </TD></TR> <TR> <TD class='abouttag'>why<BR>another<BR>database?</TD> <TD class='aboutcontent'> <strong>FramerD</strong> is designed for incremental and collaborative data and knowledge base development. One primary cause of brittleness, incompatability, and obsolesence in advanced applications is the premature codification of structures, protocols, and semantics. FramerD was designed to provide robust and efficient data management <em>without</em> extensive up-front specification of data and operations. Developed at MIT's Media Laboratory, FramerD has been used for four years in developing information access and machine understanding applications.<BR> <strong>FramerD</strong> sources and platform releases are available <em>free of charge</em> under the <A HREF="GPL.text">GNU GPL</A>. Inquiries about less restrictive commercial licenses should be directed to MIT's Technology Licensing Office. </TD></TR> <TR> <TD class='abouttag'>thanks</TD> <TD class='aboutcontent'> <strong>FramerD</strong> was originally developed at <A HREF="http://www.mit.edu/">MIT</A>'s <A HREF="http://www.media.mit.edu/">Media Laboratory</A> by Ken Haase. The laboratory's support, especially from its <A HREF="http://nif.www.media.mit.edu/">News In the Future</A> program, is gratefully acknowledged. The primary development of FramerD is currently supported by <A HREF="http://www.beingmeta.com/">beingmeta</A>, a developer of next-generation content and knowledge management tools. <BR>FramerD development is currently hosted by <A HREF="http://www.sourceforge.net/">SourceForge</A> which hosts and supports FramerD and numerous other open-source projects. </TD></TR> </TABLE> </body>