Conceptual design of object-oriented database schemas using the binary-relationship model

We describe an algorithmic method for transforming a binary-relationship (BR) conceptual schema to an object-oriented (OO) database schema. The BR schema is a semantically rich diagram that represents the reality being modeled in terms of objects, relationships and constraints. It is easy to understand and serves as a communication tool between users and designers. Therefore it can be created in the early stages of system development, and later on be transformed into a specific OO database schema. The transformation method employs a multi-stage algorithm, which first identifies the essential objects in the BR schema, together with their relationships and constraints. These are then mapped to object classes, attributes, and constraints, maintaining the semantics and all types of constraints present in the conceptual schema.