9. A system to access data in an underlying physical database, comprising: a database abstraction model defining (i) a plurality of logical fields, wherein each logical field specifies at least an access method mapping the logical field to data in the physical database, wherein at least one logical field includes a timeline attribute that indicates where data elements retrieved for the logical field occur on a timeline, wherein the timeline attribute for the at least one logical field specifies that data corresponding to the logical field specifies a duration type data, and wherein duration type data is rendered over a segment of the timeline that indicates, relative to the timeline for the instance of the model entity, a period of time when a condition symbolized by the data occurred, and (ii) a plurality of model entities each specifying an item of data in the database used to identify an instance of the model entity and further specifying an abstract record associated with the model entity, wherein the abstract record specifies a set of logical fields that map to data related to the model entity; a database query application configured to display data related to the instance of the model entity, including the display of at least some of the data rendered on a timeline, relative to the model entity; and a runtime component configured (i) to receive, from the database query interface, a request to view the data related to the instance of the model entity, and in response, to generate and execute a physical query of the database, wherein executing the physical query retrieves a set of query results corresponding to the set of logical fields and (ii) to return the query results to the query building interface.
9. A system to access data in an underlying physical database, comprising: a database abstraction model defining (i) a plurality of logical fields, wherein each logical field specifies at least an access method mapping the logical field to data in the physical database, wherein at least one logical field includes a timeline attribute that indicates where data elements retrieved for the logical field occur on a timeline, wherein the timeline attribute for the at least one logical field specifies that data corresponding to the logical field specifies a duration type data, and wherein duration type data is rendered over a segment of the timeline that indicates, relative to the timeline for the instance of the model entity, a period of time when a condition symbolized by the data occurred, and (ii) a plurality of model entities each specifying an item of data in the database used to identify an instance of the model entity and further specifying an abstract record associated with the model entity, wherein the abstract record specifies a set of logical fields that map to data related to the model entity; a database query application configured to display data related to the instance of the model entity, including the display of at least some of the data rendered on a timeline, relative to the model entity; and a runtime component configured (i) to receive, from the database query interface, a request to view the data related to the instance of the model entity, and in response, to generate and execute a physical query of the database, wherein executing the physical query retrieves a set of query results corresponding to the set of logical fields and (ii) to return the query results to the query building interface. 11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the database query application is further configured to display an indication of a second model entity included in the data returned to the database query interface, and switching, in response to a user request, to a display of data related to the instance of the second model entity, and rendering on the timeline, relative to the timeline identified for the second model entity, data related to the second model entity.