Database Design Using Entity-Relationship Diagrams (Foundations of Database Design) [Hardcover]

Sikha Bagui (Author), Richard Earp (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0849315484 | ISBN-13: 978-0849315480 | Publication Date: June 27, 2003 | Edition: 1

Entity-relationship (E-R) diagrams are time-tested models for database development well-known for their usefulness in mapping out clear database designs. Also commonly known is how difficult it is to master them. With this comprehensive guide, database designers and developers can quickly learn all the ins and outs of E-R diagramming to become expert database designers. Because E-R diagrams are so fundamental to database design, this book is also an indispensable text for teaching computer science students the basics of database development.

Database Design Using Entity-Relationship Diagrams clarifies E-R diagramming by defining it in terms of requirements (end user requests) and specifications (designer feedback to those requests). The book explains how open communication between designers and end users is critical to developing usable, easy-to-understand E-R diagrams that model both requirements and specifications.

The authors explain, in an intuitive, informal manner, how to develop an E-R diagram, how to map it to a database, and how the resulting database can be tested. This definitive guide is a basic component for any database course, and is also an invaluable reference that database professionals can use throughout their careers.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Sikha Saha Bagui is an associate professor and interim associate chair in the Department of Computer Science at the University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida. She teaches a variety of computer science and database courses, and her research areas of concentration are database design, web databases, data mining and statistical computing. Dr. Bagui has published many journal articles and co-authored several books with Dr. Earp.

Dr. Richard Walsh Earp, Professor Emeritus, is a former chair of and former associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and former dean of the College of Science and Technology at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, Florida. Dr. Earp was also an instructor with Learning Tree International and worked for Computer Sciences Corporation at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola as a database consultant after his retirement from academia. He has co-authored several books with Dr. Bagui.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Auerbach Publications; 1 edition (June 27, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0849315484
• ISBN-13: 978-0849315480
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #930,372 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Well Written Book, August 29, 2008

By 

David A. Lessnau (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Database Design Using Entity-Relationship Diagrams (Foundations of Database Design) (Hardcover)

Bagui and Earp's "Database Design Using Entity-Relationship Diagrams" is a very well written book. It's clear, concise, and well laid out. It also meets their intended audience and intent. From page xiii of the Preface:

"This book is intended to be used by database practitioners and students for data modeling. It is also intended to be used as a supplemental text in database courses, systems analysis and design courses, and other courses that design and implement databases."

And, from page xvii of the Introduction:

"This book was written to aid students in database classes and to help database practitioners in understanding how to arrive at a definite, clear database design using an entity relationship (ER) diagram."

The only reasons I give it a rating of four stars out of five instead of five stars out of five are purely a matter of taste. First, there's not a lot of breadth to this material. So, I'm not all that certain that a whole book is warranted (it really should be covered in full-fledged database books). Second, the majority of the book focuses on "Chen-like" ER diagrams because they are well-used and implementation independent (which is good reasoning). But, I'm pretty sure that most databases are relational nowadays, so more coverage in the vein of the last chapter (the Barker-like relational ER model) would be a good thing. If I could give the book four and one half stars, I would (it's really that good). But, since I can't, four stars will have to do. If you decide you really need a supplemental text in ER Diagrams, you can't go wrong with this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good DB ER book., November 30, 2010

By 

J. Rivera (GA, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Database Design Using Entity-Relationship Diagrams (Foundations of Database Design) (Hardcover)

While using this book in my Databases College course I noticed how easy it is to follow and learn from it. The diagrams are very well laid out and explained, and the examples actually work when you try them. The author keeps it simple and straightforward, as he should for a College level book. Of course, as technology advances SO FAST, you might this book a bot outdated, but it will still give you good fundamentals for your ongoing studies.

4 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good book for quick explanation of complex database concepts, February 23, 2004

By 

Sandip Ray (Mobile, AL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Database Design Using Entity-Relationship Diagrams (Foundations of Database Design) (Hardcover)

Very good book that can be used as a text book for the beginners as well as a reference for experienced DBA's to refresh basic concepts and ideas. Worth buying and reading. Good job....Authors!