Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 1
The Power of Data Modeling
I gave the steering wheel a heavy tap with my hands as I realized that, once again, I was
completely lost. It was about an hour before dawn, I was driving in France, and an important
business meeting awaited me. I spotted a gas station up ahead that appeared to be open. I
parked, went inside, and showed the attendant the address of my destination.
I don't speak French and the attendant didn't speak English. The attendant did, however,
recognize the name of the company I needed to visit. Wanting to help and unable to com-
municate verbally, the attendant took out a pen and paper. He drew lines for streets, circles
for roundabouts along with numbers for exit paths, and rectangles for his gas station and my
destination, an organization called “MFoods”:
