Data Modeling Using the Entity-

Relationship (ER) Model

 E-R Data Model

• An Entity–relationship model (ER model) describes the structure of a database with the
help of a diagram, which is known as Entity Relationship Diagram (ER Diagram). An ER
model is a design or blueprint of a database that can later be implemented as a
database.

• The E-R data model supports following major constructs:

• Entity
• Attribute
• Relationship
 Entity Relationship Diagram (ER Diagram)

• An ER diagram shows the relationship among entity sets. An entity set is a

group of similar entities and these entities can have attributes. In terms of
DBMS, an entity is a table or attribute of a table in database, so by
showing relationship among tables and their attributes, ER diagram shows
the complete logical structure of a database

name dname
ssn lot did budget

Employees Works_In Departments

 Entities and Attributes

• The most basic object that the ER model represents is an entity

• Entity maybe :
an object with a physical existence (a person, a car, house…) or

• Attributes:
The particular properties that describe the entity

name
ssn lot

Employees
 Relationship

Relationship: Association among two or more entities.

– relationships can have their own attributes.

name dname
ssn lot did budget

Employees Works_In Departments

Symbols & Meanings
Entity symbols
 Attributes

• Several types of attribute occur in the ER model

– Simple vs. Composite
– Single value vs. Multi-value
– Stored vs. Derived
 Simple vs. Composite Attributes

Simple attributes can not be further divisible

– For example, first name, salary

Composite attributes can be divided into smaller subparts.

– For example: Address attribute of the EMPLOYEE entity can be further subdivided into
street_address, city, state, zip_code
– street_address can be further subdivided into Number, street, and apt#
Example of a composite attribute
 Single value vs. Multi-value

Single-valued
• The attributes which have a single value for a particular entity are called single-
valued
Example : name, roll_number

Multivalued
• In some cases an attribute can have a set of value for the same entity Such
attributes are called Multivalued
Example:- degree(phd, mcs)
 Stored vs. Derived

Stored attributes:
• The stored attribute are such attributes which are already stored in the database and
from which the value of another attribute is derived is called stored attribute.

Derived attributes
• Derived attributes are attributes whose values are generated from other attributes using
calculations, algorithms or procedures.
For example:
Age of a person can be calculated from person’s date of birth and present date.
Difference between these two dates gives the value of age. In this case, date of birth is a
stored attribute and age of the person is the derived attribute
 Entity with a multivalued attribute (Skill)
&
derived attribute (Years_Employed)

Multivalued:
Derived an employee can have
from date employed and current date more than one skill

13
 Identifying relationship

The relationship type that connects a weak entity type to a parent

or identifying entity type. This relationship is shown with a double line
diamond.
 Chen Notation

One-to-one relationship (1:1):

One instance in an entity refers to one and only one instance in the
related entity
 Chen Notation
One-to-many relationship(1:M):
One instance in an entity (parent) refers to one or more instances in the
related entity (child)
 Chen Notation
Many-to-many relationship (M:N):
exists when one instance of the first entity (parent) can relate to many instances
of the second entity (child), and one instance of the second entity can relate to
many instances of the first entity.

17
 CID
PID
Date
Customer Product

Name
Name
Purchase

Customer
CID Name
1 A Purchase
2 B PID CID
1 1
1 2
2 2
Product
PID Name
1 X
2 y
EID DID
Since

Employee Dept
Name
Name
Works
Age for

Employee Dept
EID Name Age DID Name

Work
EID DID Since
 Date PID Name
CID

Product

Customer Purchase
Price

Name
Date
Qty
Supplies

Qty

SID

Supplier

Name
SUPPLIER
STOCK
SID Name
1 E SID PID Qty Date
2 R 1 1 100 9
1 2 5000 20

Product
PID Name Price
1 A 10
PURCHASE 2 B 20
CID PID QTY Date
001 1 5 10
001 2 2 3
COUSTOMER
002 1 1 6
CID Name
001 X
002 y