Now data analysts, strategists and data administrators can learn the powerful technique of entity relationship modelling from this definitive guide. In a lucid instructional style, Richard Barker shows how the data modelling technique can be applied to develop high-quality, integrated information systems. Special features of the book include: * a wealth of realistic examples illustrating the technique in practice * detailed appendices highlighting the key topics including data normalization, CASE tool support, data administration and database design * a definitive glossary of all important terms. .
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"It was a pleasure to write the Foreword for such a well-written, informative book (Case Method: Entity Relationship Modelling ), I learned some new guidelines for entity relationship modelling when I read it over." - Dr Carma McClure, Vice President of Research, Extended Intelligence Inc. "Richard Barker has managed to encapsulate in book form (Case Method: Entity Relationship Modelling ) his many years of data modelling theory and practice. His new book comfortably achieves the seemingly impossible task of being both introductory and definitive at one and the same time." - Russell Jones, Editor, Software Development Monitor
From the Inside Flap
PurposeThe purpose of this book is to provide data analysts, strategists and data administrators with a definitive guide to Entity Relationship Modelling. At the same time, I was very keen that the book should be well-thumbed by regular use, as opposed to sitting on someone's shelf.
I believe that a sound grasp of entity relationship modelling can provide a firm architectural framework for understanding a business and creating flexible systems for the future. There are, however, many things that need to be considered over a period of time to take advantage of these basic techniques.
Not least of these considerations is understanding the meaning of words as applied by our users and separately within the Information Systems department. It is certainly my experience that many system developments fail because of the use of jargon and protectionism within the ivory tower of the Information Systems department, coupled with the bewildering explosion of technology. In this book I am implicitly recommending that analysts must discard their egos, and instead recognize that there is strength in their Human fallibility. In practical terms it means seeking out the most thorough and accurate understanding of the business, and then exposing that to your users and peers so they can help you gain even more accuracy. I have seen this 'egoless' team approach not only enable teams to build far more appropriate systems but act as a catalyst, knitting together users, system development staff and even accountants.
How to Use This BookI hope this book will be used by novice and expert alike. It has, therefore, been designed to provide easy-reading, tutorial-like chapters and definitive reference chapters and appendices. Later chapters contain more complex examples and techniques to be used once you have mastered the basic techniques. A single example runs through the book, based on a hypothetical airline. However, other examples and common problems are provided to help minimize your learning curve.
The appendices are designed to cover other useful concepts, further detail quality checks, first-cut database design and data administration. All the important terms in the book are covered by the glossary and, finally, an extensive index and the contents list are there to provide alternative entry points to the information in the book.
This book should provide 'hot-line' support to your entity relationship modelling when that really key problem requires urgent resolution.
AcknowledgmentsWriting a book about something you have been doing for years sounds straightforward. I found myself going over projects and discussions from the last twenty years. It is really amazing what I have learnt from my colleagues in England and the United States, and especially from many of the users who kept insisting that we really must cater for yet another important exception.
Ensuring that the book itself is complete, consistent and coherent was a tedious but worthwhile task. I would like to thank my close colleagues who took the time to expose ambiguities, difficulty in understanding, errors and omissions. In particular I would like to say a special thank you to Barbara, my wife, with whom I have worked weekends and into the early hours whilst we struggled with definitions, style, diagrams and terminology.
Richard Barker
July, 1989
0201416964P04062001
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A very clear and useful introduction to data modelling,
By A Customer
This review is from: Case*Method: Entity Relationship Modelling (Hardcover)
This book is an excellent introduction to the subject of data modelling. Although it is a brief book, it covers thoroughly all of the relevant issues of data modelling, including subtypes and arcs, and gives useful hints on how to gather the information necessary for developing a data model during the analysis phase of a project. It has three more bonuses: a section describing common mistakes on models, some assorted models of frequently used patterns (organization hierarchies, bill of materials, etc) and an appendix describing how to convert the conceptual model to SQL statements. This is the only book you need to learn data modelling.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The ONLY database design book you need (w/one exception),
By
This review is from: Case*Method: Entity Relationship Modelling (Hardcover)
I don't know why there are not more reviews on this book. I read this book when I first started my 12-year career in the database industry. And to tell you the truth, there is only one other book I have ever needed (regarding database design) -- "The Data Warehouse Toolkit" (Kimball) -- only because Data Warehouse design is much different than the design theories in this book. This book teaches you ways to design any database, and model any business -- what questions to ask users, what an entity really is, how you define it, how to tell a difference between an entity and an attribute, how to model relationships between entities, how to model "types" in a database. If you an learn the principles in this book, you will quickly become an expert in database design. Buy this book -- you will not need another. And if you are building a data warehouse, buy this book first, so you understand the difference between OLTP design and data warehouse design.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Still packs the most punch in as few words as necessary,
This review is from: Case*Method: Entity Relationship Modelling (Hardcover)
This was also my first book in Data Modelling and though its been almost 10 years ago since I picked up my copy, I still have not seen many better on the shelves since in its category: intro to data modeling via ER diagraming (IE notation)Though I no longer need to refer to this book any longer, it was certainly the first and best of the first books read in the subject and it speedily had me on my way to more advanced topics and eventually becoming an expert ER modeller. I was so impressed by the book I eventually joined Oracle.. alas Barker had moved on but his case*method books haven't lost a step in so long a time..
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