Generating an Algebraic Specification from an ER-Model

Doberkat, Ernst–Erich

doi:10.1142/s0218194097000291

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…In fact, in the presence of inheritance non-total relations may be transformed into total ones by introducing additional entities for the domain, and for the range, respectively, Attributes are dened on entities only. This is the version of ER modelling investigated in [11] and a bit more restrictive than the one investigated in [5]. These restrictions can be removed or rened at the cost of a more complicated technical development.…”

Section: 1mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The formal semantics of an extended ER-model is investigated in [6,8] from a database point of view, proposing the semantics of a database signature as the set of all interpretations; this work does not mention algebraic specications explicitly. In [5] it is shown how to generate an algebraic specication from an ER-model, hereby carrying the model based semantics of such a specication over to ER-models. The present paper proposes formalizing ER modelling through relational algebra (which is dierent from relation algebra so useful in data base programming languages!…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Algebraic Semantics of ER-Models in the Context of the Calculus of Relations. II: Dynamic View

Doberkat

Omodeo

2002

Relational Methods in Computer Science

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Section: 1mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Algebraic Semantics of ER-Models in the Context of the Calculus of Relations. II: Dynamic View

Doberkat

Omodeo

2002

Relational Methods in Computer Science

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“…On the other hand, as a result of the effort required to put formal techniques into practice, several authors have developed combinations with semiformal specification techniques like structured analysis (see Yourdan, 1989) or object-oriented analysis (see Coad & Yourdan, 1991). Approaches for VDM are provided by Elmstr0m et al (1993) and Larsen et al (1991Larsen et al ( , 1993; Randel (1990), Stepney et al (1992) and He (1995) provide this for Z; and France and Docker (1989), Doberkat (1994) and Bourdeau & Cheng (1995) for algebraic techniques 223 . Therefore, we will compare the conceptual model of a standard technique of software engineering based on semiformal specification techniques with the KADS model of expertise, which is used as a conceptual model by most knowledge specification languages.…”

Section: Semiformal Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Formal specification languages in knowledge and software engineering

Fensel¹

1995

The Knowledge Engineering Review

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. Doberkat, E.-E. and Fox, D. (1989) but also heuristic knowledge to achieve the functionality in an efficient manner. Often, this heuristic knowledge exists only implicitly as human expertise. Large parts of this expertise are based on tacit knowledge (Berry, 1987). Knowledge acquisition is a modelling activity which tries to come up with an explicit model of this knowledge. There is a high need for tools which support this modelling process by evaluating these models. Prototyping is a very useful tool for this purpose. The development of formally correct specifications and implementations is of less concern during this activity. An exception is the work of Aben (1995) who provides a formal calculus based on a pre-and post-condition notions for inference actions.:A further difference, which probably stems from the same reason, is that knowledge specification languages make much more use of semiformal specification techniques than comparable techniques in software engineering. Actually, most of the knowledge specification languages were developed to formally refine semiformal specification techniques like the KADS model of expertise. Therefore, these languages provide strong support during the conceptual modelling process, and formal specifications are structured using different modelling primitives and knowledge types stemming from semiformal techniques. The understandability of formal specifications is improved and the process of writing formal specifications is simplified. On the one hand, the use of semiformal specification techniques can also be found in software engineering, especially by specification languages which are designed for the early phase during software development (called requirements engineering) or as a result of the current trend of object-oriented specification techniques. On the other hand, the use of modelling primitives at a high conceptual level for kbs is not just a question of emphasis but it is enabled by introducing assumptions about the type of system which can be meaningfully specified with such a language. Specification languages for kbs are special-purpose languages which provide support at a higher level by restricting their scope of applicability. 30Finally, a difference between knowledge specification languages and specification languages in Software Engineering lies in the fact that most of the latter aim for a declarative specification of the functionality of a system. They try to abstract from how this functionality is achieved. As already mentioned, in knowledge-based system development part of the "how" is regarded as essential expertise which must be specified. Therefore, an inference layer in (ML) 2 or KARL specifies the significant inferences of a problem-solving process and the task layer supplements these definitions with a control flow which should ensure an effective and efficient computation of a solution. They specify in an abstract manner (i.e., by defining control over functionally specified substeps) how a solution is achieved instead of only describing wh...

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ER modelling from first relational principles

Doberkat

Omodeo

2004

Theoretical Computer Science

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Entity-Relationship (ER) modelling is a popular technique for data modelling. Despite its popularity and widespread use, it lacks a firm semantic foundation. We propose a translation of an ER-model into relation algebra, suggesting that this kind of algebra does provide suitable mechanisms for establishing a formal semantics of ER modelling. The work reported on here deals first with the techniques necessary for the translation, thus constructing a static view of an ER-model in an abstract setting of what might be called logic without variables. We then undertake a detailed analysis of the insertion and deletion operations for an ER-model represented in terms of the relation calculus

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Generating an Algebraic Specification from an ER-Model

Cited by 5 publications

References 13 publications

Algebraic Semantics of ER-Models in the Context of the Calculus of Relations. II: Dynamic View

Algebraic Semantics of ER-Models in the Context of the Calculus of Relations. II: Dynamic View

Formal specification languages in knowledge and software engineering

ER modelling from first relational principles

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