Deriving a Data Model From a Hierarchy Of Related Terms, AndDeriving a Hierarchy Of Related Terms From a Data Model

• US 20080091690A1
• Filed: 10/13/2006
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ellersick, Raymond, Roth, Mary Ann
• Application Number:
  US11/549,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20080091690A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques

Abstract

Various embodiments of a method, system and computer program product generate a data model based on a glossary model. The glossary model comprises categories and terms. At least one category of the glossary model comprises at least one term of the terms. The categories have a hierarchical relationship. The categories are mapped to objects of a data model. The terms are mapped to attributes of the data model. The attributes are associated with the objects of the data model, wherein a particular attribute of the attributes is associated with a particular object of the objects that is mapped from a particular category of the categories that comprises a particular term of the terms from which the particular attribute is mapped. The objects are associated in a hierarchical relationship based on the hierarchical relationship of the categories. In other embodiments, a method, system and computer program product generate a glossary model based on a data model.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, wherein a glossary model comprises categories and terms, at least one category of said glossary model comprising at least one term of said terms, said categories having a hierarchical relationship, comprising:

mapping said categories to objects of a data model;

mapping said terms to attributes of said data model;

associating said attributes with said objects of said data model, wherein a particular attribute of said attributes is associated with a particular object of said objects that is mapped from a particular category of said categories that comprises a particular term of said terms from which said particular attribute is mapped; and

associating said objects in a hierarchical relationship based on said hierarchical relationship of said categories.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein in response to a category of said categories and all direct and indirect supercategories, if any, of said category not containing any terms, said category is mapped to an object of said objects that is a package.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein in response to a category of said categories comprising at least one term, said category is mapped to an object of said objects that is an entity.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

in response to a category of said categories and any direct and indirect supercategories of said category not containing any terms, said category is mapped to an object of said objects that is a package; and

in response to said category comprising at least one term, said category is mapped to an object of said objects that is an entity.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in response to a first category of said categories comprising a reference to a term that is in a second category of said categories of said glossary model, wherein said first category is mapped to a first object of said objects of said data model, and said second category is mapped to a second object of said objects of said data model, generating a first key, a second key and a relationship based on said reference and said term that is in said second category, associating said first key with said first object and said second key with said second object, and associating said relationship with said first key and said second key.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said glossary model comprises a synonym group comprising a first plurality of said terms, said first plurality of terms being associated with a first plurality of said attributes that are associated with a first plurality of said objects, respectively, further comprising:

generating at least one key based on said first plurality of terms, and associating said at least one key with said first plurality of said objects.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein said categories of said glossary model comprise a first category and a second category, said second category being a subcategory of said first category, wherein said first category is mapped to a first object of said objects, and said second category is mapped to a second object of said objects, further comprising:

in response to said first object being a package and said second object being another package, associating said first and second objects such that said second object is a child of said first object.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein said categories of said glossary model comprise a first category and a second category, said second category being a subcategory of said first category, wherein said first category is mapped to a first object of said objects, said second category is mapped to a second object of said objects, further comprising:

in response to said first object being a package, and said second object being an entity, associating said first and second objects such that said first object has a relationship with said second object such that said package contains said entity.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein said categories of said glossary model comprise a first category and a second category, said second category being a subcategory of said first category, wherein said first category is mapped to a first object of said objects, said second category is mapped to a second object of said objects, wherein said generating comprises:

in response to said first object being an entity and said second object being another entity, associating said first and second objects such that said first object is a generalization entity and said second object is a specialization entity.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein an attribute of said attributes has an attribute name and an attribute type, wherein said mapping a term of said terms to said attribute comprises setting said attribute name to said each term, further comprising:

determining said attribute type based on said attribute name matching a predetermined pattern.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein an attribute of said attributes has an attribute name and an attribute type, further comprising:

determining that said attribute type is a domain in response to said attribute being derived from a term of a synonym group.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating at least one data definition based on at least one of said objects of said data model.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating at least one schema of a table based on said data model, wherein said at least one schema is created based on at least one of said objects, wherein at least one column of said table is specified in said at least one schema based on said at least one attribute of said attributes.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer usable program code for generating a data model based on a glossary model, said glossary model comprising categories and terms, at least one category of said glossary model comprising at least one term of said terms, said categories having a hierarchical relationship, said computer program product including:

computer usable program code for mapping said categories to objects of a data model;

computer usable program code for mapping said terms to attributes of said data model;

computer usable program code for associating said attributes with said objects of said data model, wherein a particular attribute of said attributes is associated with a particular object of said objects that is mapped from a particular category of said categories that comprises a particular term of said terms from which said particular attribute is mapped; and

computer usable program code for associating said objects in a hierarchical relationship based on said hierarchical relationship of said categories.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein said computer usable program code for mapping said categories, in response to a category of said categories and all direct and indirect supercategories, if any, of said category not containing any terms, maps said category to an object of said objects that is a package.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein said computer usable program code for mapping said categories, in response to a category of said categories comprising at least one term, maps said category to an object of said objects that is an entity.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein said computer usable program code for mapping said categories, in response to a category of said categories and any direct and indirect supercategories of said category not containing any terms, maps said category to an object of said objects that is a package;

and in response to said category comprising at least one term, maps said category to an object of said objects that is an entity.

18. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising:

computer usable program code for, in response to a first category of said categories comprising a reference to a term that is in a second category of said categories of said glossary model, wherein said first category is mapped to a first object of said objects of said data model, and said second category is mapped to a second object of said objects of said data model, generating a first key, a second key and a relationship based on said reference and said term that is in said second category, associating said first key with said first object and said second key with said second object, and associating said relationship with said first key and said second key.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

computer usable program code for generating at least one key based on a plurality of terms of a synonym group of said glossary model, and associating said at least one key with a plurality of said objects that are associated with attributes that are mapped from said plurality of terms of said synonym group.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

computer usable program code for, in response to a first object of said objects being a package, and a second object of said objects being another package, wherein a category of said categories from which said second object is mapped is a subcategory of a category of said categories from which said first object is mapped, associating said first and second objects such that said second object is a child of said first object.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

computer usable program code for, in response to a first object of said objects being said package and a second object of said objects being said entity, wherein a category of said categories from which said second object is mapped is a subcategory of a category of said categories from which said first object is mapped, associating said first and second objects such that said first object has a relationship with said second object such that said package contains said entity.

22. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein each attribute of said attributes has an attribute name and an attribute type, wherein said mapping said terms to said attributes of said data model comprises setting said attribute name to a respective term of said terms, further comprising:

computer usable program code for determining said attribute type based on said attribute name matching a predetermined pattern.

23. A computer-implemented method of generating a glossary based on a data model, said data model comprising objects and attributes, said attributes being associated with said objects, said objects having a hierarchical relationship, comprising:

mapping said objects to categories;

mapping said attributes to terms;

associating said categories in a hierarchical relationship based on said hierarchical relationship of said objects;

associating each term of said terms with at least one category of said categories based on said at least one object of said objects from which said at least one category is mapped comprising said attribute from which said term is mapped.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said objects of said data model comprise at least one package and a plurality of entities.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein said data model comprises at least one key, further comprising:

determining that a first term of said terms is a synonym of a second term of said terms based on said at least one key; and

generating a synonym group comprising said first term and said second term.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein said data model comprises a first attribute of said attributes that is associated with a primary key, a second attribute of said attributes that is associated with a foreign key, further comprising:

in response to a first attribute and a second attribute of said attributes having different names, generating a synonym group comprising a first term based on said first attribute and a second term based on said second attribute.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein said data model comprises a first attribute of said attributes that is associated with a primary key, a second attribute of said attributes that is associated with a foreign key, further comprising:

in response to a first attribute and a second attribute of said attributes having same names, generating a reference to a first term that is associated with said first attribute for a category that is associated with an entity comprising said second attribute.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein said data model comprises a domain, further comprising:

in response to a first attribute and a second attribute of said attributes being associated with said domain, generating a synonym group comprising a first term based on said first attribute and a second term based on said second attribute in response to said first term and said second term being different.

29. The method of claim 23 wherein said data model comprises a domain, further comprising:

in response to a first attribute and a second attribute of said attributes being associated with said domain, generating a reference to a first term that is associated with said first attribute for a category that is associated with an entity comprising said second attribute in response to said first term and second term being the same.

30. The method of claim 23 wherein said objects of said data model comprise a generalization entity and a specialization entity,

wherein said mapping said objects maps said generalization entity to a first category of said glossary model;

wherein said mapping said objects maps said specialization entity to a second category of said glossary model; and

further comprising;

associating said first and second categories such that said second category is a subcategory of said first category.