A Yeast Artificial Chromosome Library Database: Design Considerations.

Abstract This paper first describes a simple collection of HyperCard stacks created and used by genetics researchers to catalog information in a human yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) library. Although an intuitive human-computer interface made the HyperCard program easy to use, the program was neither an efficient nor a secure primary database for vital laboratory data. This paper subsequently describes a relational database implementation prototype that overcomes HyperCard's deficiencies as a database engine while still allowing users to interact with their data through their familiar HyperCard stacks. The authors argue that although HyperCard often can serve as an interface to a database management system, HyperCard should not be viewed as a substitute for a database management system.