Software & Systems Modeling

, Volume 8, Issue 3, pp 423–445 | Cite as

Generating relational database transactions from eb 3 attribute definitions

  • Frédéric Gervais
  • Marc Frappier
  • Régine Laleau
Regular Paper
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Abstract

eb 3 is a trace-based formal language created for the specification of information systems. In eb 3, each entity and association attribute is independently defined by a recursive function on the valid traces of external events. This paper describes an algorithm that generates, for each external event, a transaction that updates the value of affected attributes in their relational database representation. The benefits are twofold: eb 3 attribute specifications are automatically translated into executable programs, eliminating system design and implementation steps; the construction of information systems is streamlined, because eb 3 specifications are simpler and shorter to write than corresponding traditional specifications, design and implementations. In particular, the paper shows that simple eb 3 constructs can replace complex SQL queries which are typically difficult to write.

Keywords

Information systems Attributes Pattern matching SELECT statements Transactions 

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 2008

Authors and Affiliations

  • Frédéric Gervais
    • 1
    • 3
  • Marc Frappier
    • 2
  • Régine Laleau
    • 1
  1. 1.LACLUniversité Paris-EstCreteilFrance
  2. 2.GRILUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeCanada
  3. 3.Département InformatiqueIUT Sénart-FontainebleauFontainebleauFrance

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