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From: brian@edat.UUCP (brian douglass personal account)
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Re: ER versus dependency normalization methods.
Message-ID: <2370@edat.UUCP>
Date: 11 Dec 90 17:43:57 GMT
References: <358@6sigma.UUCP> <34324@netnews.upenn.edu> <1990Dec11.003251.4494@inel.gov>
Organization: Electronic Data Technologies, Inc., Las Vegas, NV
Lines: 28

I'm starting a new project and have been reading this conversation with
great interest.  In a former life I was developing about 4 different
DBMS based systems per year.  Having to do all of the analysis and
modeling by hand, Yourdon flows with ERs.  What a pain!

In this life I am now looking at CASE tools to automate the whole 
analysis and design process.  In particular I have been interested in
the teamwork series by Ingres/Cadre and IDE's software through
pictures.  

Since these products claim not only to assist in the diagramming
of systems, but also the creation of database schemas and relationships,
how useful has anyone found them to be?  I mean going from user 
interviews to actual data models was always a hair puller at best,
but now may be a moot point, the tool does it all for you (scarry!).
Some tools will not only generate all of your schemas, but even your
4gl code!

So how about it.  Are CASE tools going to relieve us all the need
to decide between ER and DN, and do it all for us?  Sort of like
microwave brownies.  Pour in the interviews, mix all around,
nuke for 3 minutes and presto, instant system!


Brian Douglass			Voice: 702-361-1510 X311
Electronic Data Technologies	FAX #: 702-361-2545
1085 Palms Airport Drive	brian@edat.uucp
Las Vegas, NV 89119-3715