Entity Relationship Model

Date: 2023-11-05
Time: 22:08

Introduction
ER Model is graphical picture of the data for a particular database.

Modeling

Modeling languages is used to define schema (data, data relationships, data explanation and constraints on the
data).
For designing database, it is necessary to design database structure correctly so data modeling is used.

Data Modeling

It is process, which is used to produce data model for describing data, its relationships and its constraints.
It also defines data elements, their structures and relationships between them.
It is generally used in business and information technology to give a suggestion about how information is, how it
should be, how it is stored and used inside a business system.
Importance of Data models :
it defines and analyzes data requirements.
It makes communication easy for application programmer, end user and designer.
To define data elements, their structures and relationships between them.

Basic Styles of data model

Three basic styles of data model :

1. Conceptual Data Models (CDM) : Conceptual data model are also called as domain models. It is a primary step
in constructing data model. It contains all main entities & relationships but does not consist of the complete
information about attributes.
2. Logical Data Model (LDM) : LDM is used to give information of logical entity types, the data attributes
describing those entities, and the relationships between the entities. It includes all entities and relationships
between them and also specifies all attributes for each entity. It also states Primary Key and Foreign Key to
identify relationship in entities.
3. Physical Data Model (PDM) : PDM explains all table structures, including column name, column data type,
column constraints, primary key, foreign key and relationships among tables. In this model entities are
 transformed into tables. Relationship is transformed using foreign key. Attribute is transformed into columns

ER Model

The Entity-Relationship model is developed by Chen in 1976 to design database more effectively.
A Conceptual data model explains the structure of a database.
The fundamental concept of ER model includes entity types, relationship type and attributes.

Components of ER Model

Entity : An entity is a thing or object in the actual world that is distinguishable from all other objects. An entity is
represented by rectangle containing the entity name.
Attributes : An attribute is a property or characteristic. An entity is represented by a set of attributes. It
corresponds to a field in a table.
Entity Set : In ER model a specific table row is referred as an entity instance or entity occurrence. Each entity
set has a key. All entities in an entity set have the same set of attributes. Basically, Entity set is a set of entities of
the same type that shares the same properties or attributes.
For ex : Customer entity set that includes set of all people having an account at the bank. Attributes are
customer-name, address, Phone no.
Domain : Attribute is characteristic or property used to correspond field in table. Each attribute is connected with
a set of values that is known as domain. The domain defines the possible value that an attribute may grasp.
(Range)

Entity Types

The ER model consists of different types of entities. The existence of an entity may depend on the existence of
one or more entities, such an entity is said to be existence dependent.
For example : If we consider Furniture the entity Chair is existence dependent on entity wood.
Entities that are not dependent on any other entities is termed as non existence dependent.
Entities based on their characteristics are classified as follows :
Strong Entities
Weak Entities
 Recursive Entities
Composite Entities
Weak Entity : An Entity which is dependent on one or more entities for its existence, is known as Weak Entity. It
is represented by a double rectangle in the ER diagram.
An entity set that does not contain enough attributes to form a primary key is known as a weak entity set.
In Weak Entity set it is vital to identify attributes of weak entity set so we require a key it is known as
Discriminator or partial key.
Discriminator / partial Key : It is a set of attributes that uniquely identify weak entities and are connected to
same owner entity. It is represented by a dashed line in the ER Diagram.
Strong Entity : An entity set that has a primary key is known as strong entity set. A strong entity is independent
of other entities and can exist on its own.
For Example : Student is strong entity type because it associates with Primary key Roll_No.
Recursive Entity : A recursive entity is one in which a relation can exist between occurrences of the same entity
set. This occurs in a unary relationship.
For Example: In Organization many Employees managed by other employee’s. Recursive entity is
employee.
Composite Entity : Composite means thing composed of other things. Similar to that composite entity is
composed of many parts. It is used to link the relationships that exist between many relationships. A composite
entity is represented by a diamond shape within a rectangle in an ER Diagram.
For Example : A Student is identified by a RollNo and a Class.

Attributes Type: -
In ER model attributes can be classified into the following types.
Simple and Composite Attribute
Single Valued and Multi Valued attribute
Stored and Derived Attributes
Complex Attributes
Simple Attributes : When attribute consist of a single atomic value it is Simple Attribute. i.e Simple attribute
cannot be subdivided
For Ex : The attributes age, Gender etc is simple attribute.
Composite Attributes : When attribute value is not atomic it is composite attribute. It can be further subdivided.
For ex : address can be subdivided into street, city, state.
Single Valued Attribute : Attributes that have single values is called single valued attribute.
Example:-A Person has ‘age’. Age have fixed value means multiple value is not possible for Age so Age is
Single valued attribute .Single valued attribute can be simple or composite.