Creating databases for web applications.ppt

Creating databases for web applications New example: last lecture Systems design. ER diagrams. Data flow diagrams. Storyboards. Homework: Plan database and applications for a library: produce ERD and DFD Added example Students: name, gpa, department Go to last lecture for code /~Jeanine/db/studentexample/showstudents.php /~Jeanine/db/studentexample/showdepartments.php /~Jeanine/db/studentexample/enterstudent.html System analysis and design Tools for planning communication with clients (specific diagrams may not always be shown, but used to support discussion) communication with builders Attempt to focus on function before implementation logical design versus physical design Models Information model = Entity relationship diagrams Ask yourself: what is the critical information? What are the relationships (what fields in one table point to other records?) Process model = data flow What are the (main) processes? Who initiates these processes? What data stores are used and/or changed? Story board What are the Web pages—the interfaces to the user (client/player/employee)? What is the flow from one Web page to another? ER models Done before creating the tables as part of planning and after creating the tables, as documentation Logical/analysis level (what is in examples here) just defines fields and relationships. Physical/Design/Implementation level: data types and also estimates on number of records. Entity-relationship Entity = the things (products, people, places, business concepts) attributes = fields = properties Relationships = connections between things, as represented by a field in one table (attribute of an entity) pointing to an entity. Primary keys and foreign keys A field (attribute) that uniquely defines a record in a table can be its primary key. sometimes generated automatically by dbms In another table, the way to refer to this record would be by using the primary key value. This is called a foreign key in that other table. Entity Relationship diagr