PleaSQLarify: Visual Pragmatic Repair for Natural Language Database Querying

Researchers present PleaSQLarify, a visual interface system that helps resolve ambiguity in natural language database queries through pragmatic repair - an incremental clarification process. The system uses interpretable decision variables and visual exploration to help users efficiently disambiguate queries when their intent doesn't match system interpretation.

• →PleaSQLarify introduces pragmatic repair as a solution to ambiguity problems in natural language database interfaces.
• →The system uses visual interfaces to surface action spaces and enable efficient user clarification of queries.
• →A study with twelve participants showed the system helped users recognize alternative interpretations and resolve ambiguity.
• →The approach reframes database querying challenges through pragmatic inference rather than collapsing uncertainty into single queries.
• →The research highlights pragmatic repair as a design principle for improving user control in natural language interfaces.