CKB - the compound knowledge base: a text based chemical search system

The Compound Knowledge Base (CKB) was developed as a means of locating structures and additional relevant information from a given known structural identifier. Any of Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number, company code (code number the producing company refers to the chemical entity internally), generic name (trivial or class name), or trade name (name under which the compound is marketed) can be provided as a query. CKB will provide the remaining available information as well as the corresponding structure for any matching compound in the database. The interface to the Compound Knowledge Base is Internet/World Wide Web-based, using Netscape Navigator and the ChemDraw Pro Plugin, which allows Merck scientists quick and easy access to the database from their desktop. The design and implementation of the database and the search interface are herein detailed.