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Hierarchical entity-relationship diagrams: the model, method of creation and experimental evaluation

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Abstract

A bottom-up method for creating a hierarchy of entity-relationship diagrams (HERD) from a given, “flat” ER diagram (ERD) is proposed. The hierarchy consists of simple and interrelated diagrams—ER structures—with external relationships to other structures. The HERD-tree diagram, which provides the most general view of the conceptual schema, is located at the top of the hierarchy. The method is based on packaging operations, which group entities and relationships according to certain criteria. These operations are applied in several steps on a given (presumably large-scale) ERD. We describe the new constructs, which are added to the ER model to enable the creation of HERD, and a bottom-up method for creating HERD. We also evaluate HERD from the point of view of user comprehension and preference, based on an experimental comparison to flat ERDs.

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Notes

  1. An earlier version of the method has been presented in [6]

  2. Due to space limitations we do not show the figures of all structures created for the example; the reader who follows the packaging operations and steps should be able to construct them.

  3. This means that the method does not provide a deterministic solution and slightly different structures may be created, as will be elaborated later on.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Information Systems Engineering , Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel

    Peretz Shoval, Revital Danoch & Mira Balabam

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  1. Peretz Shoval
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  2. Revital Danoch
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  3. Mira Balabam
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Correspondence to Peretz Shoval.

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Shoval, P., Danoch, R. & Balabam, M. Hierarchical entity-relationship diagrams: the model, method of creation and experimental evaluation. Requirements Eng 9, 217–228 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00766-004-0201-9

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