Modeling Dynamic Rules in ORM

Abstract

This paper proposes an extension to the Object-Role Modeling approach to support formal declaration of dynamic rules. Dynamic rules differ from static rules by pertaining to properties of state transitions, rather than to the states themselves. In this paper, application of dynamic rules is restricted to so-called single-step transactions, with an old state (the input of the transaction) and a new state (the direct result of that transaction). Such restricted rules are easier to formulate (and enforce) than a constraint applying historically over all possible states. In our approach, dynamic rules specify an elementary transaction type indicating which kind of object or fact is being added, deleted or updated, and (optionally) pre-conditions relevant to the transaction, followed by a condition stating the properties of the new state, including the relation between the new state and the old state. These dynamic rules are formulated in a syntax designed to be easily validated by non-technical domain experts.

Protecting Cumulative Node Constraint during XML Update

“…Perhaps, the closest in spirit to our work is the works by Halpin et al [7], [10], [11]. Halpin et al come out with a series of work in expressing business rules based on different modality and static/dynamic properties.…”

“…In data modelling, business rules are usually presented as integrity constraint where we can distinguish the constraint into static and dynamic integrity constraints [5], [4], [10], [11]. The requirements on the states are called static (integrity) constraints, and the requirements on the state transitions are called dynamic (integrity) constraints or transitional constraints.…”

A Basic Characterization of Relation Migration

“…We leave it to Human-Computer Interaction experts to devise the optimal way to add relation migration to the ORM graphical and textual languages: the constraints can be added alike rules are added in pseudo-natural language analogous to [2] or, e.g., with named dashed lines that serve as syntactic sugar for the axioms. We use the latter option in the remainder of the paper thanks to its compactness; an example is shown in Fig.…”

“…Object migration, where, say, John migrates from being an instance of Student to one of Alumnus, has received ample attention in the temporal database and conceptual modelling communities [1][2][3][4][5][6]. But how do we migrate, say, the ORM fact John, CS2000 ∈ EnrolledIn to John, CS2000 ∈ GraduatedIn when John has completed the degree programme CS2000 successfully?…”

Referencing Capabilities for Collaborative Engineering of Conceptual Process Modeling with Object-Role Modeling

“…Further capabilities are needed to represent dynamic aspects in these specifications. The dynamic aspects are mainly related to the process-i.e., a flow of activities-and to the business rules-i.e., decision policies for regulating the flow of the activities [3]. The former has already been addressed in [4] and in Chapter 15 of the widely known "brown" book [5].…”