Making connections to past semesters...

Reading the chapter for this week, I recalled building a database for LIS 5003: Information Systems and Networks...I was surprised when the chapter implied that the normalization step comes so late in the data modeling. From what I remember, that should be done as soon as possible, to ensure stability of the database.

I think the difference in perception is because we were building a database from information we had at hand, to suit our own purposes. We were designing it with an organization in mind, but we didn't actually have to bring together all the needs of multiple departments. To develop a large database that would serve the needs of several areas, the enterprise modeling and view integration would certainly be necessary. Though I don't remember calling it "view integration," that is essentially how we started building our database--we identified what the database would actually need to track and provide for the user, and then set about creating tables, fields, and relationships. Of course, we were careful to normalize as we started creating.

I thought the hands-on experience with the database was really excellent, though very difficult. The class may have created a monster, however. Toward the end of that semester, I was asked to take part in a small, state-wide group that was trying to identify what would be needed in a database built specifically for adult literacy programs. While other members were saying general things like "don't forget a place for assessments," I was itemizing all of the essential fields, the relationships that I thought would need to be made, and all the various reports that we might eventually want to create.

I also noticed the brief mention of XML as a way to access databases from the Web. XML is something I need to learn more about. I've recently added a couple books on the subject to my Amazon wishlist.