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.
Dr Terry Halpin is internationally recognized as the leading authority on ORM. Currently a data modeling consultant and a Professor in Computer Science, he has many years of experience in developing and teaching data modeling technology in both industry and academia. He has authored over 200 technical publications and eight books, and has co-edited nine books on information systems modeling research. He is a an associate editor or reviewer for several academic journals, is a regular columnist for the Business Rules Journal, and is a recipient of the DAMA International Achievement Award for Education and the IFIP Outstanding Service Award.