Database Systems : A Practical Approach to Design, Implementation and Management

This book takes a fresh, pragmatic approach to database systems. With a strong design focus and using realistic case studies throughout, readers can master an accessible, step-by-step methodology, learn how to apply this to design and build applications, and gain a good understanding of the issues involved in building the systems.

Database Systems' practical, hands-on approach makes it uniquely suited to providing a strong foundation in good database design practice. A clear introduction to design, implementation and management issues, as well as an extensive treatment of database language and standards, make this book an indispensable complete reference for database students and professionals alike. The new edition of this bestseller brings it up to date with the latest developments in database technology and builds on the clear, accessible approach that contributed to the success of previous editions.

A realistic case study integrated throughout the book enables complex subjects to be explained in the context of one understandable example, while three additional case studies allow readers to work through examples by themselves. Clearly stated chapter objectives and summaries guide the reader, highlighted key definitions and numerous worked examples illustrate the concepts, and review questions and exercises reinforce the material covered in each chapter.

Features

• Database design methodology is explicitly divided into three phases: conceptual, logical, and physical. Each phase is described in a separate chapter with an example of the methodology working in practice.
• Extensive treatment of SQL in three tutorial-style chapters.
• Comprehensive treatment of distributed, object-oriented, and object-relational DBMSs.
• Comprehensive introduction to data warehousing, OLAP, and data mining.
• Extensive treatment of the Web as an emerging platform for database applications with many code samples for accessing databases from the Web including JDBC, SQLJ, ASP, JSP, and Oracle's PSP.

New! For the third edition

• Use of UML notation for ER diagrams.
• New chapter on the relational algebra and relational calculus.
• New chapter on fact-finding techniques as a step prior to the start of the database design methodology.
• New chapter on Access and Oracle DBMSs, illustrating the difference between the two systems.
• New chapter on semistructured data, its relationship to XML, and query languages for XML.
• New chapter of data warehouse design using dimensionality modeling.
• Introduction of color to highlight the text and improve navigation through the book.
• Additional Web resources at www.booksites.net/connolly, such as prototype implementations of the case studies, and lab notes for Access.