ENTITY RELETIONSHIP

MODELLING

• ER Modeling (Top Down Approch)

• Normalizetion (Bottom Up Approch)
• WHAT IS ER MODELLING?
A graphical techque for understanding and organizing the data independent of the actual database
implementation.
We need to be familiar with the following terms to go further.

ENTITY:-
Any thing that has an independent existence and about which we collect data. It is also known as entity
type.
In ER modelling, notation for entity is given below.

Entity
• ENTITY TYPES

(A)Strong entity set:-

Entity type which has its own key attributes by which we can identify. Specific entity uniquely is called as
strong entity set.
Strong entity type is represented by single rectangle.

(B)Weak entity set:-

Entity type which cannot form distinct key from their attributes and takes help from corresponding strong
entity is called as weak entity set.
Weak entity type is represented by double rectangle.
• ATTRIBUTES
Properties/characteristics which describe entities are called attributes
In ER modeling ,notation for attributes is given below.

Attribute

TYPES OF ATTRIBUTES:-
(1) Simple attributes :-
Simple attributes which cannot be divided into subparts.

(2) Composite attributes:-

Composite attributes which can be divided into subparts.

(3)Single valued attribute:-

The attribute having atomic(only one )value for a particular entity is called s single valued attribute.
(4)Multi valued attributes:-
The attribute having many values for a particular entity is called as multi-valued attributes.

(5)Stored attributes:-
The simple attributes stored in database are called as stored attributes.

(6)Derived attributes:-
The value of this attributes which can be derived from the value of related stored attribute is called as derived
attributes.

(7)Null attribute:-
This attribute can take NULL value when entity does not have value for it.

(8)Key attributes:-
This is an attribute of an entity which must a unique value by which any row can be identified is called as key
attribute of entity
TYPE NOTATION
Attribute
(Simple/Single
valued/Stored)
Key attribute

Multi valued attribute

Composite attribute

ER NOTATION FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF ATTRIBUTES

• RELATIONSHIP

Associations between entities are called relationship

Example: An employee work for an organization. Here”work for”is a relation between the entities employee and
organization.
In ER modelling, notation for relationship is given below.

Relationship
Advantages and Disadvantages of ER Modelling(Merits and Demerits of ER Modelling)
Advantages
1. ER Modelling is simple and easily understandable. It is represented in business users language and it can be
understood by non-technical specialist.
2. Intuitive and helps in physical database creation.
3. Can be generalized and specialized based on needs.
4. Can help in database design.
5. Given a higher level description of the system.
Disadvantages
6. Physical design derived from E-R Model may have some amount of ambiguities or inconsistency.
7. Sometime diagrams may lead to misinterpretations