Database Design for Smarties: Using UML for Data Modeling

Excellent intermediate text, but you should know at least the basic Universal Modeling Language symbols and have some knowledge of database architectures.I read it when I'd been programming Oracle for a few months and wanted to learn UML as well as more about db design. What a deal, the same two topics in one book!I came away with a deeper, and useful, understanding of both the structure of databases, and some practical uses for UML.

I would recommend this book. I have experience with database design (ORACLE) but object oriented design was more a mystery for me. Mr. Muller showed me that there is only a little step from entity-relationship modelling to modelling with UML. UML design also solves a lot of database design problems like reaching a 3rd (or higher) normal form. Another plus of this book is his in depth tutorial to apply the technics of UML to a relational database, to a object-relational and a object oriented database. Examples are for oracle databases and POET ODL for an object oriented database.

This is an excellent tutorial to using UML and sound object-oriented techniques for the express purpose of designing data models for a database. Well written, it deserves a place on every database designer's bookshelf.

Database Modeling for Smarties is exactly that. This book captures the techniques that I have been using for a number of years but have not been able to capture concisely. I found the discussion of object-relational mapping very useful and would love to send copies to the database designers that I work with. The reading is easy and the only negative would be that the chapter on development team values & characteristics seems to be misplaced. However the chapter was good reading as an intermission in the middle of the book.

Mr. Muller provides a succinct explanation of the UML and how it applies to database models and the realities of the major DBMS on the market. He doesn't mince words, each line and paragraph are thought provoking and insightful. Choose a quiet place to read and dive in!