Entity Event Modelling

Entity Event Matrix,

Entity Life History,
Effect Correspondence Diagram
 Entity-event modelling
• An entity may be effected by several events.
• An event may effect several entities.
• This can be represented by
– a matrix (Entity Event Matrix)
– separately for each entity (Entity Life History)
– separately for each event (Effect Correspondence
Diagram)
 First, let’s recap
• Joe’s Yard has a current logical DFD
• A set of Requirements
• A Logical Data structure
 Current Logical DFD

1 Shop 4
Customer Docket &
Payment Pick Check Supply needs Joe
and and
pay supply
* *
Signed docket
docket
Order
M3
book
2 Yard
Supply order
Issue
supplies 3
*
Accept
Supply invoice
supplies
Supply payment Supplier
M1 Docket *

5
financial
Shareholders Produce
report M2 Supply receipts
financial
report
*
 Set of New Requirements
• “We want Joe to have a stock level on his stock, so
that we know what needs to be ordered.”
– No new process
• “We want Joe to know who his customers are, so
that he can tout for repeat business.”
– New process – mail shot
• “We want Joe to be able to lodge requested items, so
that he can make a decision on whether to stock
them in the future or so that he can order them on
demand.”
– New processes – lodge requests, contact customers re
requests.
 New Logical Data Structure
Customer Staff Supplier
Customer Id Staff name Supplier Id
Customer Name Staff no Supplier Name
Customer Address Staff role Supplier Address
Amount Owed

Docket Stock SupplierOrder

DocketNo Stock Code * Supplier Id
Order Date Stock Description SupplierOrderNo
* Customer Id Unit Price SupplierOrderDate
DocketPaidSig * Supplier Id DeliveredDate
DocketRcvdSig UnitCostPric e
* Staff no Stock level
Reorder level

Order Line SupplierOrderLine

* DocketNo * SupplierOrderNo
* Stock Code * Stock Code
QuantityRequired StockRequired
 Entity-event matrix
• List all entities across the top of the page.
• List all events (system functions) down the side of
the page.
• Fill in the matrix as follows:
– If an event creates an entity, mark with C.
– If an event deletes an entity, mark with D.
– If an event modifies an entity, mark with M.
– All entity columns should have at least one C, D and
M/R.
 Entity / Event Matrix

Order Line

Order Line
Customer

Supplier

Supplier

Supplier
Entity /

Docket
Stock
Event

Order
Staff
Pick and Pay c r c m c
Issue Supplies m
Accept Supplies m m
Check and Supply c/r c/r c c
Produce Financial
Report r r r r r r
Lodge Requests c r c c c c/r c c
Contact Customers
Re Requests r r m r
 Entity / Event Matrix

Entities/Events
Issue Video M M C
Video Return M M D M
Reservation Request C
New Tape C C
Collect Reservation M M C D
 ENTITY LIFE HISTORY
• An Entity life history consists of a tree, the top node of
which is the entity.
• The next level contains nodes indicating the organisation
of events.
• The almost lowest level contains nodes representing the
individual events which change the entity.
• The lowest level contains the processing operations which
achieve the effects of the higher nodes.
 SSADM ideal
• “For each entity, make out an entity
life history”
• In a real situation
– Identify entities that
• Effect a lot of other entities
• Change states a lot
 Entity Life Histories
• SEQUENCE - left to right
 SELECTION
- either or
ITERATION

*
 Stock Entity Life History
OPERATION LIST

Stock

create amend delete

Sell stock Restock

Check and
Lodge Request
Supply

Issue Supplies Accept Supplies

 Standard Payment ELH not Joe’s Yard!

payment

Cheque created Issued Removed

Payment entered Authorised Printed cashed lost reconciled

expired cancelled
 Steps in development
• Make out a 'normal' life: Creation, amendment,
deletion
• Include complications - irregularities
• Include all known events
• Check importance of timing of attribute creation /
modification / deletion
• Check alterations to entity's relationships
• Anything else missing from ELH?
Effect Correspondence Diagrams
• These are used to ensure that the Entity Life
Histories are completed satisfactorily.
 Construction
• List all entities effected (updated) by an
event.
• Draw as for LDM, including only entities
and relationships effected by the event.
• If one event can effect an entity in different
ways, use selection boxes, listing the effect
roles in the box.
• If one event can effect several occurrences of an
entity, use an iteration box, describing the set of
occurrences in the box.
• Entities required by the event for enquiry purposes
can also be listed, along with the reasons for
enquiry and attributes needed. Entities needed
more than once for different reasons, will be
displayed more than once, but boxed together.