Computer system and method for storing and displaying of a semantically structured entity relationship diagram
First Claim
1. A method for storing and displaying of an entity relationship diagram in a computer system comprising storage means, said method comprising the steps ofa) storing of first data representative of a sequence of kernel entity sets Ki, where a kernel entity set Ki is a class of kernel entities ei ;
- b) storing of second data representative of relation entity sets Ri, where a relation entity set Ri is a class of relations among a number n of kernel entities ei, each taken from a kernel entity set Ki according to the definition D ##EQU2## and where the kernel entity sets Ki in the definition D may not be distinct, whereby said second data comprise information as to the assignment of each of said relation entity sets Ri to at least one of said kernel entity sets;
c) logically partitioning a display into at least a first and a second section;
d) displaying of the kernel entity sets Ki represented by a first class of symbols in said first section of said display; and
displaying of the relation entity sets Ri represented by a second class of symbols in said second section.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention concerns a method and system for storing and displaying an entity relationship diagram. The entity relationship diagram of the invention is composed of only four different classes of allowed entity types. Thereby redundancy is eliminated and less storage locations are needed to store the diagram. The diagram comprises kernel entity sets K, attributive entity sets A, role entity sets P and relation entity sets R which are displayed on a display 9.
18 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for storing and displaying of an entity relationship diagram in a computer system comprising storage means, said method comprising the steps of
a) storing of first data representative of a sequence of kernel entity sets Ki, where a kernel entity set Ki is a class of kernel entities ei ; -
b) storing of second data representative of relation entity sets Ri, where a relation entity set Ri is a class of relations among a number n of kernel entities ei, each taken from a kernel entity set Ki according to the definition D ##EQU2## and where the kernel entity sets Ki in the definition D may not be distinct, whereby said second data comprise information as to the assignment of each of said relation entity sets Ri to at least one of said kernel entity sets; c) logically partitioning a display into at least a first and a second section; d) displaying of the kernel entity sets Ki represented by a first class of symbols in said first section of said display; and displaying of the relation entity sets Ri represented by a second class of symbols in said second section. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the order of kernel entity sets Ki in said sequence is defined by an index xi which is assigned to each of said kernel entity sets Ki, said index xi being comprised in said first data.
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5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said step of logically dividing said display into two sections is along a horizontal or vertical line and said method further comprising the steps of
storing of further first data representative of a further kernel entity set Ki, whereby the position of said further kernel entity set Ki in said sequence is defined by assigning an index xi ; - and
displaying said kernel entry sets Ki along said line.
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6. A method for displaying of an entity relationship diagram on the display of a computer system, said entity relationship diagram being stored in said computer system, characterized by the steps of
a) logically partitioning said display into at least a first and a second section; -
b) displaying of kernel entity sets Ki represented by a first class of symbols in said first section of said display, where a kernel entity set Ki is a class of kernel entities ei ; c) displaying of relation entity sets Ri represented by a second class of symbols in said second section, where a relations entity set Ri is a class of relations among a number n of kernel entities ei, each taken from a kernel entity set Ki according to the definition D ##EQU3## whereby the kernel entity sets Ki in the definition D may not be distinct. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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9. A method according to claim 8, said method further comprising the steps of
defining an array of allowable positions on said display; - and
arranging said symbols in said positions.
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10. A method according to claim 9, said partitioning step comprising a step of logically dividing said display into two sections along a horizontal or vertical line, whereby said kernel entity sets Ki are displayed along that line.
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11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said entity relationship diagram is stored as a vectorgraph.
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12. A method according to claim 10, wherein said entity relationship diagram is stored in a computer system comprising storage means, said method further comprising the steps of
a) storing of first data representative of a sequence of kernel entity sets Ki, where a kernel entity set Ki is a class of kernel entities ei ; b) storing of second data representative of relation entity sets Ri, where a relation entity set Ri is a class of relations among a number n of kernel entities ei, each taken from a kernel entity set Ki according to the definition D ##EQU4## and where the kernel entity sets Ki in the definition D may not be distinct, whereby said second data comprise information as to the assignment of each of said relation entity sets Ri to at least one of said kernel entity sets.
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13. A method according to claim 10, wherein the absolute and/or relative position of each kernel entity set Ki which is displayed along that line is determined by the order of kernel entity sets Ki in said sequence.
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14. A method according to claim 6, wherein symbols belonging to different ones of said classes of symbols have a different shape and symbols belonging to the same class of symbols may only differ as to their size.
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15. A method according to claim 14, wherein relations within said class of relations are mathematical relations.
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16. A computer system for displaying of an entity relationship diagram, said system comprising
a) means for storing of first data representative of a sequence of kernel entity sets Ki, where a kernel entity set is a class of kernel entities ei and for storing of second data representative of relation entity sets Ri, where a relation entity set Ri is a class of relations among a number n of kernel entities ei, each taken from a kernel entity set Ki according to the definition D ##EQU5## and where the kernel entity sets Ki in the definition D may not be distinct, whereby said second data comprise information as to the assignment of each of said relation entity sets Ri to at least one of said kernel entity sets, b) display means logically partitioned into at least a first and a second section, c) means for generating a first class of symbols to display a representation of said kernel entity sets in said first section and for generating a second class of symbols to display a representation of said relation entity sets Ri in said second section, whereby said means for generating are interconnected to said means for storing and to said display means. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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19. A computer system according to claim 16, said system comprising input means, such as a mouse, especially to define the partitioning of said display means.
Specification