DataAspects proposes to integrate information from chemical, biological and inventory databases into a client GUI designed for drug discovery and development. Integration will be implemented by building on the commercial software already used in the Walter Reed Chemical Information System (WR CIS). This CIS is organized into a suite of applications using TRIMtools (Trifox Corporation) that run on 11 different operating systems, access 10 different database servers and distribute information via TCP/IP to thin GUI clients running on windows, and soon, Macintosh platforms. The integration of TRIM clients with software from third party vendors will largely be implemented through the exchange of images. To process images, the TRIM client itself will be programmed to retrieve and display image files with help from common WWW viewer applications. Functions will be written for the client GUI to retrieve and display images of chemical datasheets stored on an optical jukebox. The client GUI will interface with the WR chemical database by wrapping queries in HTML documents and exchanging them via HTTP with the Common Gateway Interface provided by Daylight Chemical Information Systems. The TRIM client will print data screens by merging text with image files in HTML documents, invoking the platform's browser, and writing the document to the local printer. The integrated CIS is focused on the pharmaceutical and chemical industries who need high performance/low cost systems that integrate text, image and chemical data from common industry database servers across TCP/IP networks to platform independent thin GUI clients.
