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A software tool for modular database design

Published: 01 May 1991 Publication History
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  • Abstract

    A modularization discipline for database schemas is first described. The dicipline incorporates both a strategy for enforcing integrity constraints and a tactic for organizing large sets of database structures, integrity constraints, and operations. A software tool that helps the development and maintenance of database schemas modularized according to the discipline is then presented. It offers a user-friendly interface that guides the designer through the various stages of the creation of a new module or through the process of changing objects of existing modules. The tool incorporates, in a declarative style, a description of the design and redesign rules behind the modularization discipline, hence facilitating the incremental addition of new expertise about database design.

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    Alfs T. Berztiss

    Although the title of this paper puts emphasis on a software tool, the paper should be read by all software engineers interested in database modularization. Proper modularization is essential for the management of large databases. In the case of functional databases, it seems natural to separate a database into data types and consider each data type as a module. Under a relational data model, however, modularization criteria are more difficult to establish, and the authors of this paper do not go beyond stating that “close relation” of a collection of structures, integrity constraints, and operations is their modularization criterion. They do, however, solve the important problem of how to maintain integrity efficiently when new modules are added to a database. They do this by grouping modules into conceptual and external modules, where the latter define database views. Conceptual modules are organized into a hierarchy in such a way that lower-level modules are hidden from the user. This allows for the development of efficient mechanisms for maintaining integrity, and for the engineering of a tool that is to assist a database designer in the initial design of a database and in subsequent redesign activities. The tool has been implemented.

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    Published In

    cover image ACM Transactions on Database Systems
    ACM Transactions on Database Systems  Volume 16, Issue 2
    June 1991
    160 pages
    ISSN:0362-5915
    EISSN:1557-4644
    DOI:10.1145/114325
    Issue’s Table of Contents

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    Association for Computing Machinery

    New York, NY, United States

    Publication History

    Published: 01 May 1991
    Published in TODS Volume 16, Issue 2

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    Author Tags

    1. abstract data types
    2. consistency preservation
    3. encapsulation
    4. integrity constraints
    5. logical database design
    6. modular design
    7. module constructors

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    • (2011)Building eCommerce systems from shared micro-schemasProceedings of the 2011th Confederated international conference on On the move to meaningful internet systems - Volume Part I10.5555/2074356.2074382(284-301)Online publication date: 17-Oct-2011
    • (2011)Building eCommerce Systems from Shared Micro-schemasOn the Move to Meaningful Internet Systems: OTM 201110.1007/978-3-642-25109-2_19(284-301)Online publication date: 2011
    • (2008)A Model of Database Components and their Interconnection Based upon Communicating ViewsProceedings of the 2008 conference on Information Modelling and Knowledge Bases XIX10.5555/1563785.1563791(79-99)Online publication date: 15-Jun-2008
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    • (1996)Reusing (shrink wrap) schemas by modifying concept schemasProceedings of the Twelfth International Conference on Data Engineering10.1109/ICDE.1996.492180(326-333)Online publication date: 1996
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