MVT: a schema mapping validation tool

Abstract

Schema mappings define relationships between schemas in a declarative way. We demonstrate MVT, a mapping validation tool that allows the designer to ask whether the mapping has certain desirable properties. The answers to these questions will provide information on whether the mapping adequately matches the intended needs and requirements. MVT is able to deal with a highly expressive class of mappings and database schemas, which allows the use of negations, order comparisons and null values. The tool does not only provide a Boolean answer as test result, but also a feedback for that result. Depending on the tested property and on the test result, the provided feedback can be in the form of example schema instances, or in the form of an explanation, that is, highlighting the mapping assertions and schema constraints responsible for getting such a result.