Customer Reviews

Data Model Patterns: Conventions of Thought

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I can understand why this book has gotten some mixed reviews. The author addresses many common modeling problems. But readers looking for instant solutions to those problems will probably be disappointed. Those looking for oop patterns are reading the wrong book. And anyone looking for a beginner's introduction to data modeling will be completely lost. But if you've been feeling as if your database designs could be better, but you're not sure how, you need this book.

Mr. Hay covers many real-world modeling problems. His discussions of these problems give incredible insight into the thought process of a professional data modeler. That is the true value of this book.

I first read this book about three years ago and now I am totally embarrassed by every database I created before. I've re-read it many times since and my copy is beaten and dog-eared. Thankfully, it's a hardcover book.

Make sure you read all the footnotes in the book. Some of them are hysterically funny.

I've done some data modeling, and much more process modeling, so I was familiar with Mr. Hay's objectives with respect to data and restricting the model to logical representations of data, whatever that may be.

About six chapters into this book, I realize that while I could continue through to the end, I would likely find this more useful as a companion to a problem. I think the majority of non-academic readers, software practitioners if you will, will extract the necessary value from owning this book given a specific objective, i.e. I have to develop a work management model from scratch, and these are my (current) business rules.

The book covers so many kinds of models that it's entirely possible a reader will have no practical frame of reference, such as the chapter on accounting. Modern accounting software is primarily off-the-shelf, so developing a data model for it isn't something very common today. However, the smart developer understands that living "in the spaces between" software is a very good line of business, so to that end knowing what an ideal data model might have is certainly valuable ammunition when weighing vendor claims and evaluating solutions.

Because it lacks that sort of accessible readability, I am withholding a star. I'd have withheld a half-star if it were possible; I believe the book has great value to a developer or analyst.

Fred

For years, I searched for a book that would bridge the gap between the theoretical principles of relational database design and the actual application of those principles to a real-world problem; a reference with practical, industry-specific examples of complete data models. David Hay's book is that, and much more. Data Model Patterns provides models for specific enterprise "types". But it goes a step further by generalizing many common entities and relationships to emphasize that, although details differ, there are striking similarities between analogous data structures across enterprises. Along the way, he points out some of the more common mistakes in data model design and how to avoid them (e.g. building "relationship" information into the structure of an entity or failing to recognize the distinction between the existance of an entity and the actual use of that entity). This book is packed with diagrams, descriptions, and analysis tips. It's contribution to my understanding of data model analysis and design is nothing less than transcendental. David, you should rename this book "Zen and the Art of Data Model Patterns"!

I have been in Data modeling for now more than 10 years and thought I knew what I was talking about. Hay proved me wrong. Even the Universal model which I was so proud to have discovered on my own is there in almost all possible uses and combination (minus one, but I'll only share it with the VERY interested ones). I have had this book at hand for almost a year now and it is one of the few I consult almost daily. My only grudge is it is based on the Oracle methodology. But this is a very personal grudge.

This books is great for getting ideas. I use it to help me think about data models that I'm creating. Hay presents his thinking from many perspectives. He's not trying to say, "Here's how you do this data model." What he does is present different aspects of modeling various subject areas; illustrating various slants at approaching models for the subject area. This is very helpful when brainstorming or trying to come up with a model. This book is a great reference that I consult consistently at the beginning of each new modeling task. A must have.

you will not be disappointed. The models presented are, as other readers have noticed, highly abstracted, and I believe that Mr. Hay himself would agree. That said, the view he presents assists you as a data analyst with creating data models that are, in fact, more elegant and which do, in fact, more accurately represent the information you're attempting to capture. Despite having developed commercial software since I was in high school, nearly all of it with database components, this book finally gave me the higher-level understanding that I needed.

As for criticisms that the book is focussed on relational database technology, for the most part, this is correct. However, as a developer, I believe that the careful business analysis that Mr Hay's approach infers is one area in which current OO practice leaves much to be desired. It doesn't matter if you're an Oracle, DB2 or Cache shop. This book will help you understand your data better.

Allegorically speaking, David Hay has taught his readers how to fish, where many other attempts to reveal the art of data modelling have merely provided one meal. Mr. Hay articulates the abstract concepts of data modelling in a clear and very readable manner, and leads us to a deeper understanding of the basic patterns common to all modelling tasks. Anyone familiar with Richard Barker's Case* Method series will find this book to be an excellent companion to that series.

This book delivered on my expectations. I was being asked to build a ground-up billing and accounting system, and this book really helped bring clarity to my conceptions and design. This book should be studied.

I've omitted a star because this is very much an applied data model pattern book. More esoteric modeling problems, such as meta-data representations of real or digitial world entities are not covered.

This book's high level of abstraction makes is great for generic models that you "massage" to form your own final design. In essence, all the serious fundamental errors can be obliterated by following Hay's designs, giving you a very robust base design. Probably, best of all, is the easy writing style; making the technical stuff a lot easier. If you want something that holds your hand a bit more, get "The Data Model Resource Book".

I ordered this book from the used book store link on the product home page. The seller claimed that this book was 'Like New'. I don't know how they distinguish New and 'Like New'. This book is absolutely new and it even has the wonderful smell of a new book! The contents of the book speak for themselves. This is a must have for anyone even remotely involved in Data Modeling. The concepts here are so fundamental that most popular ERP systems today use these concepts.