csp as database query language

["Campbell, John" <John.Campbell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear All

The mindset of most people using CSP (or manifestations
of it like OCCAM) is to write programs to *make* something
happen.  I've been thinking the last few days that there
might be a useful alternative interpretation. 

It seems to me that you could write a CSP description of
a *hypothetical* process that might be at work in a large
data base.  You could do a probablistic analysis to see
how many matches you'd expect in a random system, and 
test the csp with the real system to see actual matches.

Thoughts anyone? 
-jc