language: en

A Unifying Framework for Conceptual Data Modelling Concepts

P.J.M. Frederiks, A.H.M. ter Hofstede, E. Lippe
Department of Information Systems University of Nijmegen
Toernooiveld 1 NL-6525 ED Nijmegen The Netherlands
fpaulf,arthur,ernstlg@cs.kun.nl

[Published as:]

P.J.M. Frederiks, A.H.M. ter Hofstede, and E. Lippe.

A Unifying Framework for Conceptual Data Modelling Concepts.

Technical Report CSI-R9410,
Computing Science Institute, University of Nijmegen,
Nijmegen, The Netherlands,
September 1994.

Abstract For succesful information systems development, conceptual data modelling is essential. Nowadays many techniques for conceptual data modelling exist, examples are NIAM, FORM, PSM, many (E)ER variants, IFO, and FDM. In-depth comparisons of concepts of these techniques is very difficult as the mathematical formalisations of these techniques, if existing at all, are very different. As such there is a need for a unifying formal framework providing a sufficiently high level of abstraction. In this paper the use of category theory for this purpose is addressed. Well-known conceptual data modelling concepts are discussed from a category theoretic point of view. Advantages and disadvantages of the approach chosen will be outlined.

Keywords: Conceptual Data Modelling, Category Theory, Meta Modelling Classification: 68P99 (AMS-1991), H.1.0. (CR-1991)

1 Introduction