Robert J. Muller

Most object-oriented (OO) designers now use the Unified Modeling Language (UML) to model systems. This ReadyNote defines the terms of OO design using standard UML definitions (from the Object Modeling Group, or OMG), showing how the OO concepts map into data modeling concepts. The origins of UML in fact lie in data modeling: class diagrams and their notational conventions have their roots in entity-relationship diagrams. The UML, however, adds many things to the pot, such as use cases.

This ReadyNote is intended to be a succinct introduction to using OO methods for designing databases. It assumes familiarity with basic database terminology and some exposure to basic data modeling. It also assumes some sophistication with respect to the programming and design of computer programs. If you’ve worked with database technology and database application programming and want to learn how OO techniques can be of use, this ReadyNote will help. If you need more examples and a more complete discussion of methods and techniques, consult the book by Muller.

This ReadyNote does not assume any particular database management technology; it is about data modeling, not database implementation. Most people implement OO designs with relational technology, not object-relational or OO database technology. Therefore, the section titled “Transforming a Data Model into a Database” assumes relational technology. Getting OO data from relational databases is a problem with many solutions, including commercial and open-source tools. All these tools make their own assumptions about the relational design, so you should consult your tool documentation in tandem with this ReadyNote to fully understand what you’ll need to model.

• Robert J. Muller is an academic technology specialist in the Department of Political Science at Stanford University. His research interests include database design theory, model-driven architecture, object-oriented design, statistical modeling, Bayesian networks, election studies, and international relations. Muller has a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an MS from MIT, and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley, all in political science. He is a member of the IEEE Computer Society and the IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology. Contact him at muller@computer.org.