Working with ER Diagrams:
ER Diagram is a visual representation of data that describes how data
is related to each other. In ER Model, we disintegrate data into
entities, attributes and setup relationships between entities, all this can
be represented visually using the ER diagram.
For example, in the below diagram, anyone can see and understand
what the diagram wants to convey: Developer develops a website,
whereas a Visitor visits a website.
connected to the entity.
Weak Entity:
A weak Entity is represented using double rectangular boxes. It is
generally connected to another entity.
Ex:
Key Attribute for any Entity:
To represent a Key attribute, the attribute name inside the Ellipse is underlined.
Derived Attribute for any Entity:
Derived attributes are those which are derived based on other attributes, for
example, age can be derived from date of birth.
To represent a derived attribute, another dotted ellipse is created inside the main
ellipse.
Multivalued Attribute for any Entity:
Double Ellipse, one inside another, represents the attribute which can have
multiple values.
Composite Attribute for any Entity:
A composite attribute is the attribute, which also has attributes.
ER Diagram: Entity
An Entity can be any object, place, person or class. In ER Diagram, an entity is
represented using rectangles. Consider an example of an Organisation- Employee,
Manager, Department, Product and many more can be taken as entities in an
Organisation.
The yellow rhombus in between represents a relationship.
ER Diagram: Weak Entity
Weak entity is an entity that depends on another entity. Weak entity doesn't have
anay key attribute of its own. Double rectangle is used to represent a weak entity.
ER Diagram: Attribute
An Attribute describes a property or characterstic of an entity. For
example, Name, Age, Address etc can be attributes of a Student. An attribute is
represented using eclipse.
ER Diagram: Key Attribute
Key attribute represents the main characterstic of an Entity. It is used to represent a
Primary key. Ellipse with the text underlined, represents Key Attribute.
ER Diagram: Composite Attribute
An attribute can also have their own attributes. These attributes are known
as Composite attributes.
ER Diagram: Relationship
A Relationship describes relation between entities. Relationship is represented
using diamonds or rhombus.
There are three types of relationship that exist between Entities.
1. Binary Relationship
2. Recursive Relationship
3. Ternary Relationship
ER Diagram: Binary Relationship
Binary Relationship means relation between two Entities. This is further divided into
three types.
One to One Relationship
This type of relationship is rarely seen in real world.
The above example describes that one student can enroll only for one course and a
course will also have only one Student. This is not what you will usually see in real-
world relationships.
One to Many Relationship
The below example showcases this relationship, which means that 1 student can opt
for many courses, but a course can only have 1 student. Sounds weird! This is how it
is.
Many to One Relationship
It reflects business rule that many entities can be associated with just one entity. For
example, Student enrolls for only one Course but a Course can have many Students.
Many to Many Relationship
The above diagram represents that one student can enroll for more than one
courses. And a course can have more than 1 student enrolled in it.
ER Diagram: Recursive Relationship
When an Entity is related with itself it is known as Recursive Relationship.
ER Diagram: Ternary Relationship
Relationship of degree three is called Ternary relationship.
A Ternary relationship involves three entities. In such relationships we always
consider two entites together and then look upon the third.
For example, in the diagram above, we have three related
entities, Company, Product and Sector. To understand the relationship better or to
define rules around the model, we should relate two entities and then derive the third
one.
A Company produces many Products/ each product is produced by exactly one
company.
A Company operates in only one Sector / each sector has many companies
operating in it.
Considering the above two rules or relationships, we see that although the complete
relationship involves three entities, but we are looking at two entities at a time.
The Enhanced ER Model:
Hence, as part of the Enhanced ER Model, along with other improvements, three
new concepts were added to the existing ER Model, they were:
1. Generalization
2. Specialization
3. Aggregration
Let's understand what they are, and why were they added to the existing ER Model.
Generalization
Generalization is a bottom-up approach in which two lower level entities combine to
form a higher level entity. In generalization, the higher level entity can also combine
with other lower level entities to make further higher level entity.
It's more like Superclass and Subclass system, but the only difference is the
approach, which is bottom-up. Hence, entities are combined to form a more
generalised entity, in other words, sub-classes are combined to form a super-class.
For example, Saving and Current account types entities can be generalised and an
entity with name Account can be created, which covers both.
Specialization
Specialization is opposite to Generalization. It is a top-down approach in which one
higher level entity can be broken down into two lower level entity. In specialization, a
higher level entity may not have any lower-level entity sets, it's possible.
Aggregration
Aggregation is a process when relation between two entities is treated as a single
entity.
In the diagram above, the relationship between Center and Course together, is
acting as an Entity, which is in relationship with another entity Visitor. Now in real
world, if a Visitor or a Student visits a Coaching Center, he/she will never enquire
about the center only or just about the course, rather he/she will ask enquire about
both.
