UML for Database Design

Citation

Mason, D. (2003), "UML for Database Design", Online Information Review, Vol. 27 No. 1, pp. 66-67. https://doi.org/10.1108/14684520310471185

Unified modelling language (UML) is designed to bridge the gap between traditional database designers and the application programmers who interface the database to client situations. UML is a graphical notation that enables designers, programmers and end users to communicate with one another and is being widely adopted by the object‐oriented programming community. This book is the latest in the Addison‐Wesley Object Technology series.

This book is an introduction to UML for database professionals, not an introduction for absolute beginners. It assumes that the reader will have a good knowledge of database fundamentals, the development life cycle and object‐oriented concepts. It addresses the practical issues of adapting conventional database design practice to incorporate UML modelling, liaison with programming teams using UML, and interpreting UML diagrams provided as specification documents.

The authors take a non‐technical approach to the subject, avoiding theory and formalism in favour of a project life cycle‐based explanation. UML is introduced naturally at each step of systems development and explained through extensive examples as the project goes from conceptual to logical and then to physical database design.

The book uses a case study of a fictitious health care company and walks the reader through the process of automating parts of the business. Each chapter starts with a section giving a high level view of the tasks being undertaken at this stage and a description of any new UML elements introduced. Then there is a description of the case status, discussing design and implementation issues arising and introducing new case material as needed. Each third section outlines the UML or database concepts being put into practice in this stage, but does not give a full tutorial on their use, although there is enough detail to allow the database specialist to follow the logic easily. This is followed by guidelines as to how the tasks might differ in practice, with advice for specific situations. Throughout the chapters there are call‐out sections highlighting how the UML concepts map onto, or differ from, standard database concepts.

The example case is worked in full detail, with every stage shown in depth and with a running commentary on the design process. The case itself is fairly limited in scope but is adequate for demonstrating the UML approach to design. A full model and all diagrams are provided in an appendix, along with detailed use case descriptions for all the elements. These give the reader a full set of diagrams to refer to while working through the case study and show what finished UML specifications look like. The book gives an extensive introduction for managers, database programmers and project staff who need to become familiar with UML, and in particular will make an ideal companion text for students working through the Rational software package.