Information Modeling and Relational Databases, Third Edition, provides thorough coverage of information modeling approaches, including object-role modeling (ORM), entity-relationship (ER) modeling, and the unified modeling language (UML). It shows how to map models developed with those approaches to a variety of relational and nonrelational database systems, including document databases, column-oriented databases, graph databases, and deductive databases. Process and state modeling, ontological modeling, and metamodeling are also covered. For this new edition, the coverage of ORM, ER, UML, SQL, OWL, and BPMN has been thoroughly updated to include their latest versions. A significant amount of new material has been added. Various data file formats such as CSV, XML, JSON, YAML, and some other markup languages are now covered, and a more thorough treatment is provided for nonrelational databases, especially NoSQL. One of the major features of the book is its large number of exercises, which have been thoroughly class-tested. This book is intended for anyone with a stake in the accuracy and efficacy of databases such as systems analysts, information modelers, database designers and administrators, and programmers.

Object-Role Modeling (ORM) is a fact-based approach to data modeling that expresses the information requirements of any business domain simply in terms of objects that play roles in relationships. All facts of interest are treated as instances of attribute-free structures known as fact types, where the relationship may be unary (e.g. Person smokes), binary (e.g. Person was born on Date), ternary (e.g. Customer bought Product on Date), or longer. Fact types facilitate natural expression, are easy to populate with examples for validation purposes, and have greater semantic stability than attribute-based structures such as those used in Entity Relationship Modeling (ER) or the Unified Modeling Language (UML).

All relevant facts, constraints and derivation rules are expressed in controlled natural language sentences that are intelligible to users in the business domain being modeled. This allows ORM data models to be validated by business domain experts who are unfamiliar with ORM’s graphical notation. For the data modeler, ORM’s graphical notation covers a much wider range of constraints than can be expressed in industrial ER or UML class diagrams, and thus allows rich visualization of the underlying semantics.

Suitable for both novices and experienced practitioners, this book covers the fundamentals of the ORM approach. Written in easy-to-understand language, it shows how to design an ORM model, illustrating each step with simple examples. Each chapter ends with a practical lab that discusses how to use the freeware NORMA tool to enter ORM models and use it to automatically generate verbalizations of the model and map it to a relational database.

Object-Role Modeling (ORM) is a fact-based approach to data modeling that expresses the information requirements of any business domain simply in terms of objects that play roles in relationships. All facts of interest are treated as instances of attribute-free structures known as fact types, where the relationship may be unary (e.g. Person smokes), binary (e.g. Person was born on Date), ternary (e.g. Customer bought Product on Date), or longer. Fact types facilitate natural expression, are easy to populate with examples for validation purposes, and have greater semantic stability than attribute-based structures such as those used in Entity Relationship Modeling (ER) or the Unified Modeling Language (UML).

All relevant facts, constraints and derivation rules are expressed in controlled natural language sentences that are intelligible to users in the business domain being modelled. This allows ORM data models to be validated by business domain experts who are unfamiliar with ORM’s graphical notation. For the data modeler, ORM’s graphical notation covers a much wider range of constraints than can be expressed in industrial ER or UML class diagrams, and thus allows rich visualization of the underlying semantics.

Written as a sequel to the author’s previous book Object-Role Modeling Fundamentals, this book briefly reviews the fundamentals of ORM, and then discusses additional topics such as model reports generation, vocabulary glossaries, relational mapping options, annotated relational schemas, schema optimization, and data modeling patterns. Written in easy-to-understand language, it illustrates each topic with simple examples, and explains how to use the freeware NORMA tool to implement the ideas discussed. The book also includes many practical exercises to promote expertise in the techniques covered, with answers provided to all the exercise questions.

This book contains the refereed proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Business Process Modeling, Development and Support (BPMDS 2011) and the 16th International Conference on Exploring Modeling Methods for Systems Analysis and Design (EMMSAD 2011), held together with the 23rd International Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering (CAiSE 2011) in London, UK, in June 2011.

The 22 papers accepted for BPMDS were selected from 61 submissions and cover a wide spectrum of issues related to business processes development, modeling, and support. They are grouped into sections on BPMDS in practice, business process improvement, business process flexibility, declarative process models, variety of modeling paradigms, business process modeling and support systems development, and interoperability and mobility.

The 16 papers accepted for EMMSAD were chosen from 31 submissions and focus on exploring, evaluating, and enhancing current information modeling methods and methodologies. They are grouped in sections on workflow and process modeling extensions, requirements analysis and information systems development, requirements evolution and information systems evolution, data modeling languages and business rules, conceptual modeling practice, and enterprise architecture.

This book contains the refereed proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Business Process Modeling, Development and Support (BPMDS 2012) and the 17th International Conference on Exploring Modeling Methods for Systems Analysis and Design (EMMSAD 2012), held together with the 24th International Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering (CAiSE 2012) in Gdańsk, Poland, in June 2012.

The 17 papers accepted for BPMDS were selected from 48 submissions and cover a wide spectrum of issues related to business process development, modeling, and support. They are grouped into sections on business process in the cloud, advanced BPM in an organizational context, similarity, variations and configuration, BPM and requirements engineering, humans and business process models, and BPM technologies using computational methods.

The 13 papers accepted for EMMSAD were chosen from 28 submissions and focus on exploring, evaluating, and enhancing current information modeling methods and methodologies. They are grouped in sections on modeling of enterprise architecture, modeling facts and rules, business process modeling, modeling of non-functional requirements, safety modeling and analysis, quality of models and modeling languages, and supporting the learning of conceptual modeling.

Information Modeling and Relational Databases, Third Edition, provides thorough coverage of information modeling approaches, including object-role modeling (ORM), entity-relationship (ER) modeling, and the unified modeling language (UML). It shows how to map models developed with those approaches to a variety of relational and nonrelational database systems, including document databases, column-oriented databases, graph databases, and deductive databases. Process and state modeling, ontological modeling, and metamodeling are also covered. For this new edition, the coverage of ORM, ER, UML, SQL, OWL, and BPMN has been thoroughly updated to include their latest versions. A significant amount of new material has been added. Various data file formats such as CSV, XML, JSON, YAML, and some other markup languages are now covered, and a more thorough treatment is provided for nonrelational databases, especially NoSQL. One of the major features of the book is its large number of exercises, which have been thoroughly class-tested. This book is intended for anyone with a stake in the accuracy and efficacy of databases such as systems analysts, information modelers, database designers and administrators, and programmers.

Object-Role Modeling (ORM) is a fact-based approach to data modeling that expresses the information requirements of any business domain simply in terms of objects that play roles in relationships. All facts of interest are treated as instances of attribute-free structures known as fact types, where the relationship may be unary (e.g. Person smokes), binary (e.g. Person was born on Date), ternary (e.g. Customer bought Product on Date), or longer. Fact types facilitate natural expression, are easy to populate with examples for validation purposes, and have greater semantic stability than attribute-based structures such as those used in Entity Relationship Modeling (ER) or the Unified Modeling Language (UML).

All relevant facts, constraints and derivation rules are expressed in controlled natural language sentences that are intelligible to users in the business domain being modeled. This allows ORM data models to be validated by business domain experts who are unfamiliar with ORM’s graphical notation. For the data modeler, ORM’s graphical notation covers a much wider range of constraints than can be expressed in industrial ER or UML class diagrams, and thus allows rich visualization of the underlying semantics.

Suitable for both novices and experienced practitioners, this book covers the fundamentals of the ORM approach. Written in easy-to-understand language, it shows how to design an ORM model, illustrating each step with simple examples. Each chapter ends with a practical lab that discusses how to use the freeware NORMA tool to enter ORM models and use it to automatically generate verbalizations of the model and map it to a relational database.

Object-Role Modeling (ORM) is a fact-based approach to data modeling that expresses the information requirements of any business domain simply in terms of objects that play roles in relationships. All facts of interest are treated as instances of attribute-free structures known as fact types, where the relationship may be unary (e.g. Person smokes), binary (e.g. Person was born on Date), ternary (e.g. Customer bought Product on Date), or longer. Fact types facilitate natural expression, are easy to populate with examples for validation purposes, and have greater semantic stability than attribute-based structures such as those used in Entity Relationship Modeling (ER) or the Unified Modeling Language (UML).

All relevant facts, constraints and derivation rules are expressed in controlled natural language sentences that are intelligible to users in the business domain being modelled. This allows ORM data models to be validated by business domain experts who are unfamiliar with ORM’s graphical notation. For the data modeler, ORM’s graphical notation covers a much wider range of constraints than can be expressed in industrial ER or UML class diagrams, and thus allows rich visualization of the underlying semantics.

Written as a sequel to the author’s previous book Object-Role Modeling Fundamentals, this book briefly reviews the fundamentals of ORM, and then discusses additional topics such as model reports generation, vocabulary glossaries, relational mapping options, annotated relational schemas, schema optimization, and data modeling patterns. Written in easy-to-understand language, it illustrates each topic with simple examples, and explains how to use the freeware NORMA tool to implement the ideas discussed. The book also includes many practical exercises to promote expertise in the techniques covered, with answers provided to all the exercise questions.

This book contains the refereed proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Business Process Modeling, Development and Support (BPMDS 2011) and the 16th International Conference on Exploring Modeling Methods for Systems Analysis and Design (EMMSAD 2011), held together with the 23rd International Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering (CAiSE 2011) in London, UK, in June 2011.

The 22 papers accepted for BPMDS were selected from 61 submissions and cover a wide spectrum of issues related to business processes development, modeling, and support. They are grouped into sections on BPMDS in practice, business process improvement, business process flexibility, declarative process models, variety of modeling paradigms, business process modeling and support systems development, and interoperability and mobility.

The 16 papers accepted for EMMSAD were chosen from 31 submissions and focus on exploring, evaluating, and enhancing current information modeling methods and methodologies. They are grouped in sections on workflow and process modeling extensions, requirements analysis and information systems development, requirements evolution and information systems evolution, data modeling languages and business rules, conceptual modeling practice, and enterprise architecture.

This book contains the refereed proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Business Process Modeling, Development and Support (BPMDS 2012) and the 17th International Conference on Exploring Modeling Methods for Systems Analysis and Design (EMMSAD 2012), held together with the 24th International Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering (CAiSE 2012) in Gdańsk, Poland, in June 2012.

The 17 papers accepted for BPMDS were selected from 48 submissions and cover a wide spectrum of issues related to business process development, modeling, and support. They are grouped into sections on business process in the cloud, advanced BPM in an organizational context, similarity, variations and configuration, BPM and requirements engineering, humans and business process models, and BPM technologies using computational methods.

The 13 papers accepted for EMMSAD were chosen from 28 submissions and focus on exploring, evaluating, and enhancing current information modeling methods and methodologies. They are grouped in sections on modeling of enterprise architecture, modeling facts and rules, business process modeling, modeling of non-functional requirements, safety modeling and analysis, quality of models and modeling languages, and supporting the learning of conceptual modeling.