CIS431 Dr. J. Scher  HME#5  Due: Wednesday, March 10, 2004, 4:00PM

Design of a Semantic Object Database Model for Snookie Notebook Computers, Inc., Using TableDesigner 1.0a for Creation of a SOM

BEFORE YOU BEGIN THIS HOME MINI EXAM, YOU NEED TO HAVE DONE THE FOLLOWING

  1. Read, in Appendix B in the textbook, pp. 629-635 and pp. 660-661

  2. View VT#4 and VT #5 (in VT#5 is a module describing an earlier version of the software we are using to design Semantic Object Data Models - the Powerpoint file mentioned next updates this to Table Designer 1.0a, which we are using in our course.)

  3. Download the (compressed ) Powerpoint file on Semantic Object Data Modeling and CoolStrategy.com's TableDesigner1.0a, by clicking the strawberries

  4. View the Powerpoint file, and follow the instructions on slide 6 to download Table Designer (about a 25 meg download), and install on your personal computer. (If you have only a slower dial-up, you might seek to download from a high-speed connection onto a zip or CD, and install from this removable media onto your personal computer, or else feel free to obtain a copy from someone else in CIS431-DL.)

Semantic Object Database Models are often used as documentation tools for existing databases and database designs. We will start with an existing {Snookie Notebook Computers, Inc.} database structure, propose some modifications to the original design, and then you will design  a Semantic Object Database Model to describe the resulting database structure, using CoolStrategy.com's Table Designer 1.0a software (which is free to students who have purchased D. Kroenke's textbook).

Consider the ORIGINAL (not with the modifications of the prior HME) Snookie Notebook Computers, Inc. database consisting of the five original object classes: Customers, Notebooks, Orders, OrderLines, SalesReps. Design on paper a complete Semantic Object Model of the Snookie 'database,' carefully designing for each object class the three types of attributes (simple, group and semantic object), as well as all cardinalities and identifiers, as per the following additional requirements. (Note that foreign keys in the original Snookie design are replaced by going to be replaced by Semantic Object attributes in your SOM.)

The given (simple) attributes in the original Snookie design are to be used, with exceptions as noted below:

  1.  for the CUSTOMER and SALESREP object classes, there is to be a new attribute to be added called "zip," plus a group attribute "container" for the existing street address, city. state and "zip", to be called "wholeaddress";

  2.  for the Customer  object class, there is to be a group attribute 'container' for the first name and last name, to be called "name";

  3.  the customers are allowed to have (any number of) alias first names;

  4.  the current primary keys are to become the "unique identifiers" in the Semantic Object data  model;

  5.  the following attributes are to become identifiers: Slsrname (in SALESREP), the customer's "name" (in CUSTOMER) and ItemDesc (in Notebooks);

  6.  nulls will only be allowed for the SALESREP "zips" and the SALESREP's "wholeaddress" and DVD in NOTEBOOK ;

  7.  display (in Notebook) is to be a group attribute consisting of the simple attributes "diagonal" and "type";

  8.  some customers and sales representatives may have multiple (whole) addresses (home, business, vacation, etc.), and this should be reflected in the design of the object classes.

  9.  semantic object attributes may be inferred from the original design;

So, the first thing you are to do is, neatly (it is suggested that you use a ruler and/or a flowcharting template) design a complete Semantic Object Model as per the above.  Explicitly specify the cardinality for each attribute, as well as all identifiers. Use the names we have provided for all attributes. (And a reminder that foreign keys in the original model are replaced by semantic object attributes in the SOM.)

Then, using CoolStrategy.com's Table Designer 1.0 Academic Edition software, create the complete Semantic Object Model. (Assuming that you have created on paper the Semantic Object Data Model, all you need do is to use Table Designer Academic Edition to create the semantic object data model, and save your model file.)

SUBMIT:

  1. Your "hand-written" Semantic Object Data Model 

  2.  A "snapshot" (screen capture) of your resulting model (with all group attributes 'expanded'); note that in CoolStrategy.com's Table Designer 1.0a, File|PrintPreview will provide a snapshot of your Semantic Object Model.  (Alternatively, you may use a Screen Capture utility (such as Otto Print Screen or Screen Seize) on your Workspace.)

  3.  The Object Specification Table for all objects, obtained by File | PrintModelInformation | Objects

NOTE: This is another important assignment, and a demanding and challenging one. You must begin this right away! If you procrastinate and leave for the last  day before it is due, you will very likely not complete the assignment, and will not derive the anticipated benefit of doing this database design work.