A computer-aided methodology for conceptual data-base design

摘要

In this paper we describe an integrated system to aid data-base conceptual design. In this system, incremental enrichments of the conceptual description of user requirements both with a top-down and a bottom-up discipline are allowed.Such enrichments involve both data and transactions. Data enrichments can be expressed by a disciplined set of design primitives. For every primitive any inconsistencies arising are described and a set of scenarios to eliminate them is suggested.Transaction enrichments are expressed in terms of declarations which define these transactions at various conceptual refinement levels. Such declarations can be compared to the partial conceptual schema obtained by data enrichments and possible incompleteness and inconsistency situations arising are described.Future developments of the research program are also outlined.