From: Clifford Heath <no.spam@...>
Date: 2007-03-29T13:55:07+09:00
Subject: Re: Object/Relational Mapping is the Vietnam of Computer Sci

Austin Ziegler wrote:
>> > I highly recommend you take
>> > the time it requires to study relational theory
>> Unfortunately my brain has a strong resistance to jargon-rich
>> litterature such as academic papers or legalese. :-(
> The basics of it aren't hard; it's set theory with relational algebra.
> I'm just not good enough at it to explain it nearly as well as some of
> the papers that are out there.

I'm presenting on this subject this very evening to the Melbourne
Ruby group this very evening. It's a compressed version of a seminar
series I've produced to introduce the basics of information modeling
for relational databases, with tie-ins to object modeling and object
role modeling (which is unrelated to the former, BTW).

I demystify the meaning and key functions of normalization, show the
weaknesses inherent in both the relational and the object oriented
approaches (some of which are common to both), and show how object
role modeling avoids the major weaknesses of both sides, by combining
strong normalisation and constraint capability with efficient and
convenient database access.

I'll be posting my slides and a video of my presentation somewhere
hopefully shortly afterwards, and code will be forthcoming in the
following months.

Clifford Heath.