Re: Why bother with Logical data model?

Broons Bane wrote:

> I'm working on a project where the logical data model stage slows the
> process down. I'm not talking about thinking time, that is always there
> as part of the process. I suppose the tool doesn't help. Oracle
> Designer is just awful and you spend an awful lot of time changing the
> tables and indexes generated by the logical model, where it would have
> been easier to go straight to table design in the first place.
>
> Now, I know part of the problem here is the tool I'm using.
>
> Has anybody had similar experiences or have any comments

I think you are using "logical" in the sense that many here would use the word "conceptual", and will go forward with that being said.

First off, my experience with a variety of tools and situations is so conclusive on this subject that I formed "Kens Law" to describe it:

-> Database tables do not require abstraction

Basically, the columns of a table are the attributes of an entity. This means that the natural result of analysis is table design. Now, if the natural result of analysis is table design, why would I insert a step before table design? It cannot help because I already have what I need, and it can only hurt by obscuring the subject matter.

One school of thought says you need a conceptual stage because laypersons cannot understand databases. But they can. Depending on their experience they will have from 0-100% comfort with tables. But if they have zero it means you have to explain something to them anyway, so why not explain tables instead of introducing an obfuscating layer of unnecessary abstraction?

-- 
Kenneth Downs
Secure Data Software, Inc.
(Ken)nneth_at_(Sec)ure(Dat)a(.com)