The system FLXFL (FLeXible FiLe) is a general purpose file processing system developed to support the function of conversational data handling for nonprogrammers. The operations provided, including the definition of (or modification of) the record format and statistical computations as well as data retrieval, are all carried out in a simple question-and-answer manner throughout the system. FLXFL allows even a user with no computer background to have the complete control over the computerized management and analyiis of the varied types of data. At present, FLXFL runs on minicomputer PDP 1 l/40 with 32K words of memory. The system is designed for general purpose, but is particularly suitable for research works.
In recent years, Data Base Management Systems (DBMS) have played an increasingly important role in a great variety of application areas. The need for a computerized information system is felt strongly in clinical medicine, among other areas, as statistical analysis of the voluminous data is becoming more and more essential for the progress of medical science.
At present, a number of DBMSs are available commercially (I), and some clinical institutions incorporate such DBMSs into their medical information systems (2, 3). Most of these commercial systems, however, require a large computer as their operational environment. In medical application, they are oriented toward the management of hospital data, and the performed operations are usually stereotyped and routine.
In clinical investigations, however, a large size general purpose DBMS is not necessarily best fit, because the usage of or the demands for the computer system