Reduction of an E-R Schema to Tables

(CLASS-L11)

Presented By:
Monalisa Panigrahi
Asst.Professor (LPU)
B2702-CSE 301

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 Reduction of an E-R Schema
to Tables
„ Primary keys allow entity sets and relationship
sets to be expressed uniformly as tables which
represent the contents of the database.
„ A database which conforms to an E-R diagram
can be represented by a collection of tables.
„ For each entity set and relationship set there is a
unique table which is assigned the name of the
corresponding entity set or relationship set.
„ Each table has a number of columns (generally
corresponding to attributes), which have unique
names.
„ Converting an E-R diagram to a table format is
the basis for deriving a relational database
design from an E-R diagram.
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 Conversion of Strong Entities

„ For each strong entity in E-R

diagram, create a separate table
with the same name. Include all
simple attributes of the strong
entity with the same name.

„ Create a key for the table

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 Example

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 Conversion of Strong
Entity(Customer)

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 Conversion of Weak Entities

„ A weak entity set becomes a

table that includes a column for
the primary key of the identifying
strong entity set, along with its
own attributes

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 Example

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 Conversion of Weak
Entity(payment)

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 Conversion of Relationship
sets

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 Conversion of one-one
Relationship
„ For each one-one relationship,(betn
A and B),modify one of the table
(A or B),to include the P.Key of
other relation as F.Key
„ If relationship has attributes,it must
be transferred to the modified
relation
„ If any relation has a total
participation, only that table must
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be modifed
 Conversion of one-many
Relationship
„ For each one-Many relationship,
modify N-side relation to hold the
primary key of other as a foreign
key

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 Conversion of many-many
Relationship
„ A many-to-many relationship set is
represented as a table with columns
for the primary keys of the two
participating entity sets, and any
descriptive attributes of the
relationship set.

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 Example

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 EX: Table for relationship set
borrower

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 Conversion of Multivalued
Attributes
„ For each Multivalued attribute,
create a separate table and include
primary key of the strong entity as
a foreign key

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 Representing Specialization
as Tables –

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 Method 1:
„ Form a table for the higher level entity (
Person)
„ Form a table for each lower level entity set,
include primary key of higher level entity set
and local attributes
„
Tables Attributes
Person name, street, city
Customer name, credit-rating

Employee +name, salary

Drawback: getting information

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accessing two tables

 Method 2:
„ Form a table for each entity set with all local
and inherited attributes
Tables Attributes

Person name, street, city

Customer name, street, city, credit-
rating
Employee
name, street, city,
salary

Drawback: street and city

may be stored redundantly
for persons who are both
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customers and employees 18
 Representing Aggregation as
Tables
„ To represent aggregation, create a
table containing
z primary key of the aggregated
relationship,
z the primary key of the associated
entity set
z Any descriptive attributes

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 Example:
„ To represent aggregation manages between
relationship works-on and entity set manager,
create a table
„ manages(employee-id, branch-name, title,
manager-name)

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 Advantages Of E-R model

1. Conceptual Simplicity
2. Maps well to the relational model
3. Simple and easy to understand
4. It is acting as a effective
communication tool between user
and developer

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 Disadvantages Of E-R model

1. Limited Constraint representation

2. Limited Relationship
representation
3. Loss of Information content
4. Suitable only for big projects

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