Data Modeling with ERwin [Paperback]

M. Carla DeAngelis (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0672318687 | ISBN-13: 978-0672318689 | Publication Date: May 14, 2000 | Edition: 1

From the first chapter, author Carla DeAngelis skillfully explains the normally complex concepts of Data Modeling-a critical success factor in the information-based enterprises of today. Carla tackles complex topics such as Logical Data Models, Modeling Methodologies, Relationships, and Attributes in a clear style that makes it simple for anyone to begin applying them immediately. Once the foundation has been laid, Carla teaches you to develop your own databases with ERwin. You will learn to use the tool to create primary keys and assign attributes, build data relationships with point and click ease, build and edit tables with Erwin's built-in editors, create indexes with the Index Editor, write custom SQL scripts, and process reports with the Report Tools.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

From the first chapter, author Carla DeAngelis skillfully explains the normally complex concepts of Data Modeling-a critical success factor in the information-based enterprises of today. Carla tackles complex topics such as Logical Data Models, Modeling Methodologies, Relationships, and Attributes in a clear style that makes it simple for anyone to begin applying them immediately. Once the foundation has been laid, Carla teaches you to develop your own databases with ERwin. You will learn to use the tool to create primary keys and assign attributes, build data relationships with point and click ease, build and edit tables with Erwin's built-in editors, create indexes with the Index Editor, write custom SQL scripts, and process reports with the Report Tools.

About the Author

M. Carla DeAngelis is a Vice President and Data Architect for Bank of America with over 15 years of application development and database design experience. She performs logical data modeling and database design, and is responsible for Bank of America's enterprise-wide data model. A long time Erwin developer and member of the ERwin Beta Team, Carla designed the data structures for Bank of America's mission-critical database systems using ERwin, and has used the product to model and design data systems for companies such as 3M, Lockheed Martin, and Xerox.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Sams; 1 edition (May 14, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0672318687
• ISBN-13: 978-0672318689
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,039,498 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Needs more Tips and Techniques, January 23, 2001

By 

whm (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Data Modeling with ERwin (Paperback)

Considering the thousands you'll spend on data modeling tools and the tens of thousands on salaries, you can't go too far wrong by spending...on a book about a data modeling tool.

"Data Modeling with Erwin" is a hybrid between a data modeling text and one of those "MS-Word for Dummies" books which shows all the dialog boxes in an application and explains what they mean. It does a fine job in both explaining data modeling as well as walking through the Erwin's features.

That said, I was hoping for much more "real world" tips and techniques from this book, i.e. more practice to supplement the theory. Specifically, I would have been interested in best practices for use of "subject areas," and "stored displays." Is there a defacto standard on these things? Also, I would have been interested in some simple guidelines for keeping your model (i.e. the main subject area) "clean looking" when your application has 100+ tables and more relationships. Another example: the "Reverse Engineering" section could use some guidelines on importing a model from a database (e.g Oracle) into Erwin for subsequent development. Things you should do, avoid, etc.

Again, this book might be helpful in the long run. I don't know how it measures up with the Erwin documentation. For me, however, I'll need to pick the hive-mind of the newsgroups for more "real world" advice.

p.s. This book also has one too many references such as "Claude Frankenstein, in his book *IE for a New Tomorrow* defines an entity as..." It gets a bit old after a while.

p.p.s This book lacks a 'lay-flat' binding, so it's hard to read on your desktop while you're eating lunch.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars very frustrating, January 12, 2005

By 

rwx "991234xhr" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Data Modeling with ERwin (Paperback)

I find the book extremely frustrating to use primarily because it does not provide step-by-step directions to anything. E.g., the section "Selecting the Target Server" (p. 140) shows me the "Select Target Server" dialog. BUT HOW DO I GET TO THAT DIALOG? This is typical of the book. The section on the report browser (p. 144) shows me the Report Browser window (Fig 7.6)-but HOW DO I GET TO THAT WINDOW?

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A useful primer for ERwin, October 8, 2001

By 

David Burch "Systems integration engineer, mu... (Hamilton, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Data Modeling with ERwin (Paperback)

While I have to agree with some earlier reviews that criticize the book for not being a complete reference, I found it far more useful than the LogicWorks/Platinum manuals as a guide to getting started and developing an intelligent approach to getting work done using ERwin. Ms. De Angelis has a clear writing style and does not hesitate to tell the reader how she thinks things should be done. She spends a good bit of time in explaining the fundamentals of data modeling, which is appropriate and useful for the book's intended audience. Not expensive, and probably a good investment for someone trying to get up to speed or who has used the product for a while and would like some guidance in how to use it more effectively.