A special type of
database system, invented by Ted Nelson in the 1960s, in which
objects (
text, pictures, music,
programs, and so on) can be creatively
linked to each other. When you
select an object, you can see all the other objects that are linked to it. You can move from one object to another even though they might have very different forms. For example, while reading a
document about Mozart, you might
click on the phrase
Violin Concerto in A Major, which could display the written score or perhaps even
invoke a recording of the concerto. Clicking on the name
Mozart might cause various illustrations of Mozart to appear on the
screen. The
icons that you select to view associated objects are called
Hypertext links or
buttons.
Hypertext systems are particularly useful for organizing and browsing through large databases that consist of disparate types of information. There are several Hypertext systems available for Apple Macintosh computers and PCs that enable you to develop your own databases. Such systems are often called authoring systems . HyperCard software from Apple Computer is the most famous.
