Database design with UML and SQL, 4th edition
This fourth edition of this online book is by Alvaro Monge, please contact him with any questions and especially to report any errors or to suggest changes.
The previous editions were done by Tom Jewett. Now retired from teaching, Tom is still active in Web design and accessibility consulting.
Editions
This fourth edition of dbDesign is a significant update to the content of the book and also to its design (forthcoming). Most of the content has been updated and the work to do so is ongoing. More detailed information on the changes will continue to be posted below throughout the process.
- Update all web pages to use HTML elements appropriate to their content. For example, use lists where there is information listed, use of HTML5 sectioning elements (article, section, etc), use figure element as the container of images, etc. Remove use of obsolete HTML elements/attributes.
- Updates the CSS style definitions as needed to accommodate for the changes in HTML.
- Use of UTF-8 characters rather than HTML character entities.
- Integrates Highlight.js, a syntax highlighting library built in JavaScript and used in this website to highlight the sample SQL statements.
- Correct errors in SQL syntax presented and provide alternative SQL syntax.
- Expand explanations of some concepts that a set of students finds difficult based on experience of teaching these over the years. For example, students often confuse the use of association classes and the many-to-many with history design pattern. The explanation of these was modified and more information provided in an attempt to make these (and other concepts) clearer.
- Organized the topic pages by introducing more headings to structure the content.
Previous editions
For historical reasons, the list below documents the changes to previous editions.
- The third edition of dbDesign is a general update, both to meet legal requirements for U.S. “Section 508” accessibility and to bring the code into compliance with the latest World Wide Web Consortium standards. In the process, I've tried to make the SQL examples as generic as possible, although you will still have to consult the documentation for your own database system. Graphics no longer require the SVG plugin; large-image and text-only views of each graphic are provided for all readers; the menu is now arranged by topic areas; and the print version (minus left-side navigation) is done automatically by a style sheet.
- The second edition was largely motivated by the very helpful comments of Prof. Alvaro Monge, as well as by Tom Jewett's own observations in two semesters of using its predecessor in class. Major changes included the clear separation of UML from its implementation in the relational model, the introduction of relational algebra terminology as an aid to understanding SQL, and an increased emphasis on natural-language understanding of the design.
- The original site was the outgrowth of a previous book project, Practical Relational Database Design (PRDD), by Wayne Dick and Tom Jewett. The move online featured condensed discussions, an integrated view of database concepts and skills, and use of the Unified Modeling Language in the design process. I’m grateful for the positive response that the site has received so far, both from my own students and from online readers worldwide.
Acknowledgements
- In 2002, Tom Jewett brought the PRDD book project to life online. CSULB instructors of the introductory database class (CECS 323) have used this online book all these years and have done so with great results. Tom's hard work, dedication, and professionalism made this online book a success. In 2014 he passed down this project to Alvaro Monge, who hopes to continue the great work he and Wayne Dick began many years earlier and which Tom brought to the Web with much success.
- In every edition of this site, a huge debt of gratitude is owed to Prof. Wayne Dick, lead author of the earlier PRDD book and internationally-known accessibility expert. Over the years, he has contributed a great amount of expertise in databases that has made its way into this online resource.
Alvaro Monge
Department of Computer Engineering and Computer Science
California State University, Long Beach
Alvaro Monge
email: alvaro.monge@csulb.edu