Specialization
GlossaryEntry
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| since | 2023-02-16 |
| description | The principle of specialization in database design refers to the inheritance of properties from a generic entity to specialized entities. There are two main types of entities considered in this context: the generic or super entity and the specialized entity.
The generic entity is also known as the superclass and contains common attributes and relationships that apply to all specialized entities. Each specialized entity is a subclass and contains attributes and relationships specific to that entity. The principle of specialization allows for reducing redundancy in the database structure and achieving better data consistency by centralizing common attributes and relationships in the generic entity. The specialized entities inherit these common properties from the generic entity and add their own specific properties. For example, a generic entity "Vehicle" may contain attributes such as "Brand", "Model", and "Year of Manufacture". A specialized entity "Car" would inherit these attributes and add specific attributes such as "Body Style" and "Number of Doors". A specialized entity "Truck" would also inherit the common attributes but add specific attributes such as "Payload Capacity" and "Number of Axles". Specialization can be implemented in various ways, including Single-Table Inheritance and Class-Table Inheritance. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages and should be chosen based on the specific requirements of the database design. |
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| lang | en |
| master | Specialization |
This Text was created by ChatGPT with the input "Explain the principle of specialization in the context of inheritance in database design." on 2023-02-17.