FORM DRIVEN CONCEPTUAL DATA MODELING (DATABASE DESIGN, EXPERT SYSTEMS, CONCEPTUAL).

Abstract

Conceptual data schema is constructed from the analysis of the business forms which are used in an enterprise. In order to peform the analysis a data model, a forms model, and heuristics to map from the forms model to the data model are developed. The data model we use is an extended version of the Entity-Relationship Model. Extensions include the addition of the min-max cardinalities and generalization hierarchy. By extending the min-max cardinalities to attributes we capture a number of significant characteristics of the entities in a concise manner. We introduce a hierarchical model of forms. The model specifies various properties of each form field within the form such as their origin, hierarchical structure, and cardinalities. The inter-connection of the forms is expressed by specifying which form fields flow from one form to another. The Expert Database Design System creates a conceptual schema by incrementally integrating related collections of forms. The rules of the expert system are divided into six groups: (1) Form Selection, (2) Entity Identification, (3) Attribute Attachment, (4) Relationship Identification, (5) Cardinality Identification, and (6) Integrity Constraints. The rules of the first group use knowledge about the form flow to determine the order in which forms are analyzed. The rules in other groups are used in conjunction with a designer dialogue to identify entities, relationships, and attributes of a schema that represents the collection of forms.