CRISTAL Limitations 1:

- The current version of the CRISTAL program permits the
construction of predefined relationships between data fields
which cannot be modified by the application user.  Dynamic
network linking and "jumps" between information fields (nodes)
are not possible.  This means that while a CRISTAL application
can support a variety of predefined information manipulations,
organizations, and displays, the prototype applications do not
permit the user to dynamically modify or supplement information
networks and relationships.  The information nodes in the
prototypes can be modified or annotated only under controlled
conditions by an intelligent user with an operational knowledge
of the CRISTAL macro language and its syntax.  This means that
user commentary cannot be appended to the information contained
in the application.

- There are no path marking capabilities for creating information
trails and communicating the sense of context, location, and
orientation during information synthesis.

- Data query capabilities are limited to the specification of a
precise text or numeric search string.  The queries are only as
accurate and thorough as the ability of the user to specify the
appropriate search criteria.  Although the search specifications
can be tailored to specific parameters, the query function
ignores close fits and typographical errors.  This constrains the
access to information by demanding key word and syntactic
accuracy in specifying search string criteria.  This is a
significant limitation, even though the system permits the use of
a broad specifier vocabulary.  

-  The user of the CRISTAL prototypes remains unaware of what
additional information may be available in the system because of
the inherent difficulty in coherently and comprehensively
communicating the complete data structure and the relationships
that exist between the records and fields which constitute the
database.

-  CRISTAL is a spreadsheet based data management application in
which structural relationships are transparent to the user.  This
means that while the system can facilitate information
dissemination from predefined data fields, no coherent sense of
information structure is conveyed to the user during system
operation.

<dfile37>   CRISTAL: Introduction
<dfile58>   CRISTAL: Attributes 1.
<dfile61>   CRISTAL: Limitations 2.
<dfile62>   CRISTAL: Summary
<dfile64>   CRISTAL: Resolution
<dfile66>   CRISTAL: Dimensional Analysis
<dfile68>   CRISTAL: Development
<efile29>   CRISTAL Limitations Summary