Abstract
Semantic data specifications are important components of most object oriented software development methodologies. When making a semantic data specification, one has to classify the different kinds of entities that occur in the part of the real world one wants to specify. This classification can be done in two semantically equivalent ways: by putting them in different entity types, or by putting them in one entity type and distinguishing them by means of an attribute. This redundancy, which exists in almost all semantic data specification systems, leads to problems during the view integration process. If two software engineers have chosen to do this classification in a different way, it is hard to integrate their specifications.
In this paper we develop and prove correct a transformation which, given a specification that models the real world in one of these ways, computes a new specification that models the real world in the other way. Such a transformation can be very useful during the view integration process.
Postdoctoral Fellow of the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research (N.F.W.O.)
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
C. Batini, M. Lenzerini, and S. B. Navathe. A comparitive analysis of methodologies for database schema integration. ACM Computing Surveys, 15(4):323–364, 1986.
Francis Borceux. Handbook of Categorical Algebra, volume I, II and III. Cambridge University Press, 1993.
Boris Cadish and Zinovy Diskin. Algebraic graph-oriented = category-theory-based: Categorical data modelling manifesto. Technical report, Frame Inform Systems, Database Design Laboratory, Latvia, July 1994.
B. Cadish and Z. Diskin. Algebraic graph-based approach to management of multibase systems, I: Schema integration via sketches and equations. In Next Generation of Information Technologies and Systems, NGITS'95, pages 69–79, 1995.
P. P. Chen. The entity-relationship model — towards a unified view of data. ACM Transactions on Database Systems, 1(1):9–36, 1976.
P. Coad and E. Yourdon. Object-Oriented Analysis. Yourdon Press, New Jersey, 1990.
Z. Diskin, B. Cadish, and I. Beylin. Algebraic graph-based approach to management of multibase systems, II: Algebraic aspects of schema integration. To appear in the proceedings of the Moscow ACM Chapter Conference ADBIS'95, 1995.
M. Johnson and C.N.G. Dampney. A mathematical foundation for era. In Proceedings of the Institute for Mathematics and its Applications, pages 77–84, 1992.
M. Johnson and C.N.G. Dampney. Category theory and information systems engineering. In Proceedings of AMAST'93, pages 95–103, 1993.
M. Johnson, R. Rosebrugh, and R.J. Wood. Entity-relationship models and sketches. Preprint, 1997.
Frank Piessens. Semantic Data Specifications: an Analysis Based on a Categorical Formalization. PhD thesis, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Dept. of Computer Science, 1996. In preparation.
Frank Piessens and Eric Steegmans. Canonical forms for data-specifications. In Proceedings of Computer Science Logic 94, number 933 in Lecture Notes in Computer Science, pages 397–411. Springer-Verlag, 1994.
Frank Piessens and Eric Steegmans. Categorical data-specifications. Theory and Applications of Categories, 1:156–173, 1995.
Stefano Spaccapietra and Christine Parent. Conflicts and correspondence assertions in interoperable databases. SIGMOD Record, 20(4):49–54, December 1991.
Chris Tuijn. Data Modeling from a Categorical Perspective. PhD thesis, Universitaire Instelling Antwerpen, 1994.
Stefan Van Baelen, Johan Lewi, Eric Steegmans, and H. Van Riel. EROOS: An entity-relationship based object-oriented specification method. In G. Heeg, B. Magnusson, and B. Meyer, editors, Technology of Object-Oriented Languages and Systems TOOLS 7, pages 103–117. Prentice Hall, 1991.
Steve Vickers. Geometric theories and databases. In Applications of Categories in Computer Science, number 177 in London Mathematical Society Lecture Note Series, pages 288–314, 1992.
Steve Vickers. Geometric logic in computer science, 1993. Available by anonymous FTP from theory. doc.ic.ac.uk in directory papers/Vickers. The paper is called GLiCS.dvi.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1997 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Piessens, F., Steegmans, E. (1997). Selective attribute elimination for categorical data specifications. In: Johnson, M. (eds) Algebraic Methodology and Software Technology. AMAST 1997. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1349. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0000487
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0000487
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-63888-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-69661-2
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive