Designing Quality Databases with IDEF1X Information Models (Hardcover)

by Thomas A., M.D. Bruce (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"lots of extremely useful advice. ... a solid, practical approach for modeling data and designing relational databases."

Product Details

• Hardcover: 584 pages
• Publisher: Dorset House Publishing Company, Incorporated (October 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0932633188
• ISBN-13: 978-0932633187
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #964,008 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Database Text, August 6, 2000

By	339 ways to spot a scam "Booker" (Everywhere) - See all my reviews

Whether or not you support or practice IDEF 1X as your data modelling religion (after all, it WAS developed for the military), Tom Bruce's 1991 edition can increase the effectiveness of your data modelling by giving you the opportunity to examine your beliefs and standards.

This text covers topics from introductory information modelling concepts , normalization, and reverse engineering, to more advanced data modelling issues. Mr. Bruce's text also includes chapters on conducting modelling sessions, John Zachman's Framework, setting up Data Administration functions within your organization, CASE tools and the IBM Repository (this section is obsolete, of course), a case study, and review exercises with answers.

Best suited for those who have participated in IRM activities and wish to build on that experience. Seasoned IRM practictioners will probably skip the introductory material and head right to the sections on abstractions, resolution of typical data modelling issues, and other advanced topics. Even though "Design" is used in the title, this text is weak on database design topics.

This text is a good one to have on hand when you're looking for justification of following a specific data modelling approach or technique.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Money & time well spent., April 10, 2002

By	J. W. Goetsch "Data Architect" (Green Bay, WI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is the best-written database design book I have come across. It should be part of every database designer and application developer's library.

This book focuses on information models using the IDEF1X information modeling technique. This text presents a very practical approach for modeling data and relational database design. Although this isn't a database administration book, DBA's would benefit from understanding how the databases they support are designed. This is a book for the masses.

5.0 out of 5 stars Original, useful and fun, September 25, 2003

By	Vinícius Medina Kern (Floripa-SC, Brazil) - See all my reviews

IDEF1X is by far the most used DB modeling language today. Books and papers, however, rarely approach it. Bruce's book is a fine piece of work. Excellent on the details of modeling - for instance, his discussion on the adoption of surrogate (artificial) keys is enlightening. Even the less technical stuff is excellent (the text on the ANSI-SPARC architecture is the best I ever read). Great book for someone who wants to develop modeling expertise.