... In this paper, a project aiming to allow access to data archives by means of a query-by-example mechanism is described. The basic user query would simply be the submission of an input image, either 1-D or 2-D; the system should allow retrieval of archived images similar to an input one on the basis of some ``resemblance parameter". ... A system called QUBE is currently being designed to support the QUery-By-Example paradigm in accessing astronomical data archives. ... the QUBE User Interface. ...