PAF Karachi Institute of Economics and Technology

Course: Database Management System

Faculty: Dr. Syed Jamal Hussain
Assignment 2 (Fall 2010)

Program: MCS
Class ID: 54457 / 54821
Date: 09-10-2010

SUBMISSION DUE DATE: 16TH OCTOBER 2010

Q. The purpose of a data model is to represent data and to make the data understandable. If it
does this, then it can be easily used to design a database. There have been many data
models proposed in the relevant literature about the field of databases. They are
considered to fall into three broad categories: object-based, record-based, and physical data
models. The first two (i.e. object-based and record-based) are used to describe data at the
conceptual and external levels, and the third one (i.e. physical) is used to describe data at the
internal level.
There is an important point, though, that must be understood at this stage, and that is,
these are the theoretical concepts related to the field of databases, hence there is a
possibility of finding different names for these relevant concepts in various literature (i.e.
reference books and web pages etc.). So, what more important is, is to understand the
underlying concepts rather than their names. Therefore, you may require to search for the
relevant academic material using the concepts rather than their names!
Now, the task you are assigned in this assignment is to study about the first two categories
of data model (i.e. object-based and record-based), and to write a brief note about them
including the relevant example(s) where required (mainly concentrating on the entityrelationship model and the relational data model).
You have already prepared an assignment about the relational data model. You may refer
to your previous assignment as well for the current one. Furthermore, try not to use more
than a couple of pages for your assignment, that is, be brief!

IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS:
Remember, the assignments may help you for the preparation of your future quizzes
and/or examinations!
All the assignments must be submitted HAND-WRITTEN on A-4 size paper(s). So be
careful, if you dont know what is A-4 size, your marks are liable to deduction!

WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK

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