Databases Illuminated, 4th Edition

4.9 Forward and Reverse Engineering: ER and Relational Models

Forward engineering is the process of translating a conceptual database schema to a logical database schema. In the design process described in Chapter 2, Figure 2.3, this is moving from Step 2 (Develop Conceptual Model) to Steps 3 and 4 (Choose DBMS and Develop Logical Model). In our discussion here, the conceptual schema is an ER diagram, and the target model is the logical schema for a relational database. In forward engineering, it is typical to have a source model that is more expressive than the target model. In the relational model, for example, the only available construct is a table; the only additional semantics in the logical model are primary and foreign keys. The ER model ...