Datenbank-DIALOG: how to communicate with your database in German (and enjoy it)

The paper discusses the requirements for practical natural language interfaces (NLIs), claiming that acceptance is not only based on the linguistic capabilities of a system but on other features as well, particularly portability and ease of handling. It is shown how these features have been realised in Datenbank-DIALOG^*, a German language interface to relational databases. After a brief look at the linguistic capabilities of Datenbank-DIALOG we demonstrate our approach towards a portable and easy-to-handle system. We also show the dependability of the solutions on the design of the core system. The aspects mentioned have rarely been treated in the technical literature, furthermore it is their combination and interaction that makes Datanbank-DIALOG a suitable device for casual users of databases.