Publications Details

Making the connection between information modeling and implementation

Eaton, M.J.

Over the past several years the Information Technology Department at Sandia Laboratories has developed information systems based on a solid foundation of information modeling and data administration. The output of the information modeling efforts is a fifth normal form relational table structure and associated data constraints. Developers would then implement the system by creating end-user application software. Traditionally, the development process combined the code necessary for maintaining data constraints with the code to provide the user interface (i.e. forms, windows, etc.). This approach has an adverse effect on the maintainability of the software as the system (i.e. the information model) changes over time. This paper will discuss the application of a direct connection between the information model and the implementation of a database with associated code to maintain required data constraints. The automated generation of this code allows the developers to concentrate on the user interface code development. The technique involves generating database procedure code automatically from the information modeling process. The database procedure code will enforce the data constraints defined in the information model. This has resulted in a fully functional database with complete rules enforcement within days of a completed information model. This work used the Knowledge Management Extensions of the Ingres database software. Changes to the architecture of both Application By Forms (ABF) and Ingres Windows4GL client applications required by this process will also be discussed.