Data Modeling

[Telsa]

What is data modeling? And how important is it?

Mary s-)

 

[seaport]

For Access, data modeling is the process of designing all tables and the relationships among them. I believe it is one of the most important things when using Access.

The result of the data modeling is the physical data model, which is actually all the printouts when you use the "documenter" to document all tables. If you do not care the definitions of each field, and only care the relationshps among tables and the field names within each table, you get a logical data model.

Seaport

 

[Telsa]

So data modeling is basically the structure of the database? And how all the objects are related and used?

Mary

 

[seaport]

Yes, it is also called the database structure or the database schema. You can use the "Relationship Diagram" in Access 2000 to link tables.

Seaport

 

[RickSpr]

In a more formal sense, data modeling is a methodology that produces a logical model of an organization's information. The logical model is then typically translated into a physical model consisting of tables, columns, and relational constraints, but that is not actually part of data modeling.

Formal data modeling was developed to bring rigor to the analysis phase of database design. It's very helpful when the information needs are large and complex. Since Access databases usually aren't that complex, traditional requirements analysis is usually enough. However, data modeling could be applied to it if there was some need to do so. Rick Sprague

 

[Telsa]

Thanks Guys!

I've used data modeling, I guess, when I have developed internal databases. Just never knew there was a special term for it before.

All the things I've learned about databases, I have learned on my own. Just love playing with those things.... especially the customized programming parts (VBA).

Mary