【考试不慌】ISS615 Database Mgt学习笔记(3) Advanced Database Analysis- EER

Learning Objectives

after studying this chapter, you should be able to:

• Concisely define each of the following key terms: enhanced entity-relationship (eer) model, subtype, supertype, attribute inheritance, generalization, specialization, completeness constraint, total specialization rule, partial specialization rule, disjointness constraint, disjoint rule, overlap rule, subtype discriminator, supertype/ subtype hierarchy, entity cluster, and universal data model.

• Recognize when to use supertype/subtype relationships in data modeling.

• Use both specialization and generalization as techniques for defining supertype/

  subtype relationships.

• Specify both completeness constraints and disjointness constraints in modeling supertype/subtype relationships.

• Develop a supertype/subtype hierarchy for a realistic business situation.

• Develop an entity cluster to simplify presentation of an E-R diagram.

• Explain the major features and data modeling structures of a universal (packaged) data model.

• Describe the special features of a data modeling project when using a packaged data model.

Enhanced entity-relationship

To cope better with these changes, researchers and consultants have continued to enhance the E-R model so that it can more accurately represent the complex data encountered in today’s business environment. The term enhanced entity-relationship (EER) model is used to identify the model that has resulted from extending the original E-R model with these new modeling constructs.

Why do we need EER

E-R, and especially EER, diagrams can become large and complex, requiring multiple pages (or very small font) for display. Some commercial databases include hundreds of entities. Many users and managers specifying requirements for or using a database do not need to see all the entities, relationships, and attributes to understand the part of the database with which they are most interested.（为了更好地应对这些变化，研究人员和顾问不断增强E-R模型，使其能够更准确地表示当今商业环境中遇到的复杂数据）

Entity clustering is a way to turn a part of an entity-relationship data model into a more macro-level view of the same data. Entity clustering is a hierarchical decomposition technique (a nesting process of breaking a system into further and further subparts), which can make E-R diagrams easier to read and databases easier to design. By grouping entities and relationships, you can lay out an E-R diagram in such a way that you give attention to the details of the model that matter most in a given data modeling task.

The EER features of supertypes/subtypes are essential to create generalizable data models; additional generalizing constructs, such as typing entities and relationships, are also employed. It has become very important for data modelers to know how to customize a data model pattern or data model for a major software package (e.g., enterprise resource planning or customer relationship management), just as it has become commonplace for information system builders to customize off-the-shelf software packages and software components.

当前挑战

One of the major challenges in data modeling is to recognize and clearly represent entities that are almost the same, that is, entity types that share common properties but also have one or more distinct properties that are of interest to the organization. 

RepresentIng supertypes and subtypes

在数据库设计和数据建模中，超类型/子类型（supertype/subtype）关系是用来描述实体间的一种特殊关系，其中一个更泛化的实体（超类型）可以被分解为多个更具体的实体（子类型）。这些概念和符号的使用帮助设计者更精确地反映现实世界中的层次和分类。 

基本概念和符号

1. 超类型（Supertype）:

   • 代表一个泛化的实体，它包含共同的属性和标识符。
   • 在E-R图中，超类型通过一条线连接到一个圆圈，表示它可以被细分。

2. 子类型（Subtype）:

   • 是超类型的具体化，包含特有的属性和关系。
   • 子类型通过一条线连接到上述的圆圈，每个子类型都是超类型的一个子集。

3. U形符号:

   • 连接子类型到圆圈的线上可能会有一个U形符号，强调子类型是超类型的子集，并指示超类型/子类型关系的方向。
   • 这个U形符号是可选的，因为超类型/子类型关系的含义和方向通常是显而易见的，在大多数例子中不包括这个符号。

4. 属性（Attributes）