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Alternative Data Structure Models

The document discusses various data structure models, including hierarchical and network models, and their evolution towards relational databases. It outlines the process of representing data in databases, emphasizing the importance of conceptual and logical models, as well as entity-relationship modeling. Key concepts such as relations, schemas, and attributes are also introduced, highlighting how data is organized and interrelated.

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Marcelo Otranto
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12 views13 pages

Alternative Data Structure Models

The document discusses various data structure models, including hierarchical and network models, and their evolution towards relational databases. It outlines the process of representing data in databases, emphasizing the importance of conceptual and logical models, as well as entity-relationship modeling. Key concepts such as relations, schemas, and attributes are also introduced, highlighting how data is organized and interrelated.

Uploaded by

Marcelo Otranto
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Alternative data structure models

road
• there are two basic different
data structure models with a
number of variants Parcel a
• storage of all map elements Parcel b
City limits
in a “combined” structure
with multiple attributes
associated
• storage of different map
elements associated with
different themes
Tabular data
Separation into data themes
Alternative (older) data structures
• Original structures tended to reflect basic
human conceptualization of data
• Hierarchy
– “larger” conceptual entities contained smaller
ones
• Network
– database pointers permit multiple linkages
betweel “lower level” entities and those above
General structures

database database

persons vehicles

trips

Hierarchical dbms Network DBMS


How to represent data in database
• well defined process
– universe to be modeled is defined (subset of world) but anything
that we could model
– external models defined (subset of universe)
• what do users want the database to deal with?
• Often people form different foci or departments in an enterprise
– Conceptual model
• synthesis of all external models
– schematic representations of how various parts of external models
interrelate
– this helps people figure out how differing elements relate, if there are
overlaps, gaps etc.
– often entity-relationship methods used (later)
– Logical model
• conversion of above to structures appropriate to DBMS
• data dictionary may be essential
– internal model - what computer actually does
Entity-relationship model
• entities
– the things - a parcel, a house
• classes of entities
– houses, parcels
• relationships between entities or classes of entities
– associations - house is on a parcel
• attributes of entities and relationships
– size of parcel, type of house
• cardinalities of relationships
– number of linkages
• term is degree
– one -to - one
– one - to -many
– many - to -many
• integrity constraints
Parcels have three segments

A segment can limit two parcels


or a parcel and a street

Segments have two endpoints


Relational databases
• Key ideas from Codd
• relation
– organized assembly of data that meets certain
conditions
– all relations are tables but not all tables are relations
• relational database - collection of relations
represented by statements as to contents and tables
containing instances of the relations
Relation
• R(owner, car_make, license_number)
Owner car_make license_number
Smith ford 456 SAP
Jones toyota WER 345
etc...
table nomenclature relational nomenclature
rows, cases tuple, records
column column
cell, data value cell, value in domain

domain = range of acceptable values


data type = e.g. characters, date, integers
Schema
• statements that define the structure
• keys link tables together
Owner
Parcel last_name, char 20
parcel_id, integer first name, char 20
parcel_name, character parcel_id, integer

Segments Vertices
segment_id, integer segment_id, integer
parcel_id, integer x coordinate, float
y coordinate, float

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