Data Modeling

[Comparison of data modeling

techniques ]
By
Renjini
Sindhuri

Contents

Introduction
E-R modeling
Peter Chen
Information Engineering
Barkers Notation
IDEFIX
UML modeling
XML modeling
X- Entity modeling
XUML
Conclusion

Introduction

Data modeling is the act of exploring data oriented

structures.
Examines and compares different data modeling
techniques
In the data modeling techniques we have traditional
modeling and object oriented modeling of data

E-R modeling

It is a conceptual data model that views the real world

as consisting of entities and relationships
It is used to transform relational tables that are easy to
understand that enables easy communication with the
end user
Peter Chen developed E-R model

Peter Chen notation

Entities are represented in the squared cornered and

circles as attributes
Many Many relationships can be represented without
associative entity
Relationship itself has attributes and are considered as
objects
It failed to represent unique identifier

Peter Chens Model

Information Engineering model

Developed by Clive Finkelstein

Entities are represented in the squared cornered and
attributes are not shown at all they are shown in a
separate list called entity list
Relationships like mandatory 1 and many can be
represented
Unique identifiers are not represented

Information Engineering model diagram

Barkers Notation

Adopted by Oracle corporation for its CASE method

Entities can be represented by round cornered
rectangle
Same entity can be represented for role an interaction
or another kind of association
Relationship names are prepositions and not verbs
Unique identifiers can be represented by hash marks
next to the attribute

Barkers Notation diagram

IDEFIX Notation

It is a modeling technique that is used by many

branches of the United States Federal government
A relationship name is a verb
IDEFIX shows subtypes as separate entity boxes
IDEFIX permits multiple inheritance and multiple type
hierarchies

IDEFIX diagram

UML

UML is an object modeling technique

It models object classes instead of entities
In the object oriented world the relationships are called
as associations
Cardinality and optionality in UML is conveyed by
characters or numbers
Express in the form of more complex upper and
lower limits
UML introduces a small flag that includes text
describing any business rules

UML diagram

XML Notation

Describing data and interchanging structured and

unstructured data on the Internet
It is a universal language of data on web
XML tags are used to create data structures
XML documents have been widely used for
interchanging data between heterogeneous systems.

XML notation
An

example of XML notation

http://www.essentialstrategies.com/publica
tions/modeling/xml.htm

X-Entity model
Conceptual model of XML uses X entity model in order
to represent additional features
The entity can be denoted by E
({A1,.An},{R1,Rm},{D1,.Dk})
Each attribute A is associated with a domain Dom(Ai)
Which specifies its value set
Cardinality is denoted by Card(Ai)=(min,max)

X entity model diagram

XUML

XUML comprises the characteristics of XML and

UML2.
It is used to express the containment semantics more
explicitly
Supporting the concept of Business Components
Specifying the data dependencies in multiple context

XUML diagram
UML and XUML model of a book store

Comparison of data modeling techniques

S.No

Modeling
Technique

Peter Chen

Information
Engineering

IDEFIX

Richard
Barkers
notation

UML

1.

Entities

squared
cornered
and circles
as attributes

Squared
cornered,
attributes are
not shown at
all.

Round or
square
cornered
rectangle

Round
cornered
rectangle

Models object
classes

2.

Relationship

Nouns. So
the
relationship
s can be
represent as
objects and
has
attributes

Verbs

Verb or verb
phrase

Preposition
not verb

Associations

3.

Constraints
between
relationships

Failed to
represent
the
constraints
directly
exclusive or)

Can
represent
Constraints
exclusive or
,inclusive

Cannot
represent

Can
represent
Constraints
exclusive or)

Can
represent
Constraints
exclusive or )

Comparison of Data modeling techniques

S.No

Modeling
Technique

Peter Chen

Information
Engineering

IDEFIX

Richard
Barkers
notation

UML

4.

Cardinality

Many to Many
relationships
can be
represented
between the
entities
without the
associative
entity

Can represent

Can represent
in different
ways

Can represent
zero or
more ,atleast
at least one

express more
complex
upper limits,
zero, 3, 6-7,
or 9

Cannot
represent the
sub types and

sub-types can
be
represented
inside their
super-type

5.

Sub types/
Super Types

super type

6.

Unique
Identifier

Cannot
represent

up to many

up to one
relationships

sub-types can
be
represented
inside their
super-type
box

box

Sub types can

be
represented
as separate
entity boxes
separate from
its super type.

Cannot
represent

Represented
in the form of

Represented
in the form of
hash next to

Can represent

Can represent

Comparison of Data Modeling techniques

S.No

Modeling
Technique

Peter Chen

Information
Engineering

IDEFIX

Richard
Barkers
notation

UML

7.

Aggregation

Cannot
represent

Cannot
represent

Cannot
represent

Cannot
represent

Can
represent
only binary
aggregations

8.

Business
Rules /

Cannot
Represent

Cannot
Represent

Cannot
Represent

Cannot
Represent

Can
Represent

Components

Comparison of Data Modeling techniques

S.No

Modeling
Technique

9.

Peter Chen

Information
Engineering

IDEFIX

Richard
Barkers
notation

UML

High

Medium

Low

High

High

Aesthetic
Simplicity
Score
10.

Completenes
s Score

Low

medium

medium

medium

medium

11.

Language
Notation
Score

medium

medium

low

medium

High

Advantages of XUML

XUML can express the containment semantics more

accurately.
Support the concept of Business Component.
Can specify the data dependencies in
multiple context.

Contd..
XUML is more expressive, precise and
understandable.
More rigorous and accurate.

Conclusion

By comparing the aesthetic simplicity, completeness,

language notation (relationship) Mr. Barker's notation is
favorable for requirement analysis model
XML is used in recent trends it follows a standard format
for representing structured and semi structured data on
web
X-Entity model has the advantages of both XML schemas
and extends the ER model so that it can explicitly
represent important features of XML schemas
The distinctive features of XUML made this technique of
data modeling the latest trend for conceptual modeling of
data.

References

1. Conceptual Modeling of XML schemas, Bernadette Farias

Losio,Ana Carolina Salgado , Year: 2003,Publisher: ACM

2. XML conceptual modeling with XUML, HongXing Liu HuaZhong

University of Science and Technology, P. R. China, YanSheng Lu
HuaZhong University of Science and Technology, P. R. China,Qing
Yang Wuhan Uni Pages: 973 976, Year of Publication: 2006,
Publisher: ACM Press

3. PETER PIN-SHAN CHEN, The Entity Relationship Model-Toward

a Unified View of Data , Massachusetts Institute of Technology, ACM
Transactions on Data base System Volume1, Issue 1,Publisher-ACM

4. Data modeling in the understanding database course: adding UML

and XML modeling to the traditional content. Journal of Computing
Sciences in Colleges, Volume 17, Issue 5 (April 2002)

References

5. Data Modeling101.

http://www.agiledata.org/essays/dataModeling101.html
6.A comparison of Data Modeling ,David C Hay,Essential Strategies
Inc,October 1999.