The Data Model Resource Book, Volume 3: Universal Patterns for Data Modeling

Silverston c07.tex V2 - 11/20/2008 5:44pm Page 369

Level 4 Contact Mechanism Pattern 369

NOTE

In Figure 7-9, the model has entities of POSTAL ADDRESS BOUNDARY and

GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARY in order to accommodate all different types of

geographic areas that help form domestic and international postal addresses. This

data model structure is further developed and discussed in the next section called

‘‘Contact Mechanism Pattern with Geographic Boundary.’’

Based on this need, the data professional starts the process of data modeling

by creating Figure 7-9. The first phase of the development is the integra-

tion of PARTY, FACILITY, and ORDER; each of these entities gets attached

totheCONTACTMECHANISMAPPLICATIONusingthesametypeof

relationship.

Table 7-13 further illustrates how this pattern works for PARTY. PARTY

‘‘XYZ Corporation’’ with party id ‘‘1001’’ has four different ways to contact it,

or in other words, four different ‘‘Contact mechanism types.’’

A ‘‘Postal address,’’ ‘‘100 Main Street, Suite 819,’’ (The first row in the

table) used for the ‘‘Purpose type’’ of ‘‘Ship to’’ (The second row in the

table).

An ‘‘Email address,’’ ‘‘[e-mail],’’ used for the ‘‘Usage type’’ of

‘‘Business’’

A ‘‘Telephone number,’’ ‘‘1 917 555 2101,’’ that has a ‘‘Location type’’ of

‘‘Reception phone’’

A ‘‘Fax number,’’ ‘‘1 917 555 2100,’’ that has a ‘‘Technology type’’ of

‘‘Fax machine.’’ Notice that just because this is a