Object Relationship Notation (Orn) for Database Applications: Enhancing the Modeling and Implementation of Associations Book

Preface vii

Motivation vii

Purpose viii

Readers ix

Structure ix

Downloads xi

Acknowledgments xi

About the Author xiii

Contents xv

List of Abbreviations xxi

Part I About Relationships and ORN 1

Chapter I Introduction Including a Brief History of Relationships 3

1.1 Relationships 3

1.2 A Brief History of Relationships 4

1.2.1 The paper-based system 5

1.2.2 The computerized file-based system 6

1.2.3 Early data models and DBMSs 8

1.2.4 The relational model and RDBMS 15

1.2.5 The entity-relationship model and database 19

1.2.6 Semantic models, the object model, and the ODBMS 23

1.2.7 The object-relational DBMS 31

1.3 Problems in Modeling and Implementing Relationships 32

1.4 Preview of a Solution 35

Chapter 2 Object Relationship Notation (ORN) 39

2.1 Syntax 39

2.2 Graphical Representation 40

2.3 Semantics 41

2.4 Examples 42

2.4.1 <*-to-*> 44

2.4.2 <1-to-*>|- 45

2.4.3 <0..1-to-*>|- 47

2.4.4 <0..1-to*>|-X- 47

2.4.5 <0..1-to-1..*>? 48

2.4.6 !<0..1-to-*> 49

2.4.7 '<*-to-1..*> 50

2.5 Flashback to the Company Database 51

Chapter 3 ORN Simulator A Modeling Tool Where Associations Come Alive 53

3.1 Creating a Database Model and a Database 53

3.2 Verifying Association Semantics 60

3.3 Architecture 66

3.4 Benefits 67

Chapter 4 Association Patterns Emerging from a Variety of Association Types 69

4.1 Context 69

4.2 Pattern Descriptions 71

4.2.1 "is defined by" pattern 73

4.2.2 "is recorded for" pattern 75

4.2.3 "is a realization of" pattern 79

4.2.4 "is associated by" pattern 80

4.2.5 "is an update of" pattern 81

4.2.6 "is a part of" pattern 82

4.2.7 "is a" pattern 89

4.3 Patterns in Database Modeling andImplementation 90

4.4 Associations That Don't Conform to a Pattern 95

4.5 Conclusion 96

Chapter 5 Comparing ORN to Similar Declarative Schemes 97

5.1 Schemes for Relational Databases and Object Relations 98

5.1.1 Null constraint 98

5.1.2 Key constraints 99

5.1.3 Referential integrity rules 100

5.1.4 Subjectivity constraints 102

5.1.5 Additional relationship semantics 103

5.2 Schemes for the ER model 105

5.3 Schemes in ODBMSs 105

5.4 Whole-Part Properties and Dimensions for Class Diagrams 107

5.4.1 Proposed association dimensions for Class diagrams 108

5.4.2 Primary characteristics for whole-part relationships 111

5.4.3 Secondary characteristics for whole-part relationships 112

5.5 Conclusion 113

Part II Using ORN to Develop a Database System 115

Chapter 6 ORN Additive A Tool for Extending SQL Server with ORN 117

6.1 Capabilities, Operations, and Architecture 117

6.1.1 Capabilities 118

6.1.2 Operations and architecture 119

6.1.3 The +ornddl command 121

6.1.4 The +orndml command 121

6.2 ORN Additive DDL Statements 122

6.2.1 USE statement 122

6.2.2 Constraint statement 123

6.2.3 Delete statement 123

6.2.4 Set Orn_Message_Number_Base statement 125

6.2.5 Example of a query file with ORN Additive DDL statements 125

6.3 ORN Additive DML Statements 125

6.3.1 Use statement 125

6.3.2 Begin Transaction statement 127

6.3.3 Save Transaction statement 127

6.3.4 Commit Transaction statement 127

6.3.5 Rollback Transaction statement 127

6.3.6 Set Rxc_Mode statement 128

6.3.7 Enable/Disable Orn_Triggers statement 129

6.3.8 Example of query file with ORN Additive DML statements 130

6.4 Conclusion 132

Chapter 7 Object Relater Plus (OR+) An ORN-extended Object DBMS 133

7.1 Capabilities and Compatibilities 133

7.2 ODDL 135

7.2.1 ODDL specification 135

7.2.2 138

7.2.3 Control commands 140

7.3 ODML 141

7.4 Architecture, Implementation, and Extensibility 143

7.4.1 Architecture 143

7.4.2 Implementation 145

7.4.3 Extensibility 146

7.5 Conclusion 147

Chapter 8 Mapping Database Models to DDLs From ORN-Extended Class Diagrams to ORN-Extended DBMSs 149

8.1 Mapping an ORN-Extended Model to an ORN-Extended SQL 149

8.1.1 Transformating the model for a relational database 149

8.1.2 Mapping classes to tables 153

8.1.3 Mapping associations to foreign keys 154

8.2 Mapping an ORN-Extended Model to an Object DDL 157

8.2.1 Transforming the model for an object database 158

8.2.2 Mapping classes to class definitions and extents 159

8.2.3 Mapping associations to object-based attributes 160

8.3 Conclusion 163

Chapter 9 Association Semantics Dealing with the Subtleties, Inconsistencies, and Ambiguities 165

9.1 Inconsistencies 165

9.1.1 Within an 166

9.1.2 Involving combinations 170

9.2 Inconsistency Detection 171

9.3 Ambiguities 172

9.4 Associations as Functions 174

9.5 Conclusion 177

Part III Adding ORN to a DBMS 179

Chapter 10 A Conceptual Implementation of ORN Exploring Semantic Circularity and Ambiguity 181

10.1 Algorithms 182

10.1.1 Algorithm CreateObject 182

10.1.2 Transaction operations 183

10.1.3 Supporting pseudocode for complex object operations 184

10.1.4 Algorithm CreateLink 185

10.1.5 Algorithm DeleteObject 186

10.1.6 Algorithm DestroyLink 187

10.1.7 Algorithm ChangeLink 187

10.2 Link Cycles 188

10.2.1 Circularity 189

10.2.2 Ambiguities 190

10.2.3 The Theorem for ORN Semantic Clarity and its proof 196

10.3 Conclusion 203

Chapter 11 Adding ORN to the SQL Standard for RDBMSs 205

11.1 Motivation 205

11.2 Overview of SQL Association Capabilities 206

11.3 Proposed ORN Extension to SQL 209

11.4 Conclusion 213

Chapter 12 Adding ORN to the ODMG Standard for ODMSs 215

12.1 Motivation 215

12.2 Adding ORN to ODL 217

12.2.1 Associations in ODL 217

12.2.2 Adding ORN syntax 218

12.2.3 Adapting ORN semantics to ODL 219

12.3 Algorithms 221

12.3.1 Class Transaction 223

12.3.2 Method new() 225

12.3.3 Method delete() 226

12.3.4 Method _enforce_binding() 227

12.3.5 Method form_tpR() 229

12.3.6 Method drop_tpR() 230

12.3.7 Method_enforce_explicit_binding() 230

12.3.6 Method change_tpR() 231

12.3.9 Example 232

12.4 Conclusion 234

Bibliography 237

Index 241