Article,
Meta-Modeling to design the Structured Database Schema
(2006)
Abstract
ASSO is a formal methodology of database design which defines the
Structured Database
Schema model. This model permits large conceptual schemas to be specified
in terms of classes and
specialized classes and large consistency proofs to be reduced to
small consistency proofs. In this
chapter, a Meta-Modeling approach for the Structured Database Schema,
which integrates features
from methodologies of conceptual database design with the formal method
B, is proposed. It starts
from a conceptual model based on the notions of class and is-a relationship
and proceeds with two
gradual extensions of models: the former defines the basic operations,
whereas the latter defines
the Structured Database Schema. This Meta-Modeling approach guarantees
the Structured
Database Schema goodness by proposing extensions of models compatible
with the previous
models. Both a “qualitative measure” of the information implicitly
specified within the Structured
Database Schema and a qualitative evaluation of the consistency cost
are provided.
