A model-driven approach to semi-structured database design

Recently XML has become a standard for data representation and the preferred method of encoding structured data for exchange over the Internet. Moreover it is frequently used as a logical format to store structured and semi-structured data in databases. We propose a model-driven and configurable approach for modeling hierarchical XML data using object role modeling (ORM) as a flat conceptual model. First a non-hierarchical conceptual schema of the problem domain is built using ORM and then different hierarchical views of the conceptual schema or parts of it are specified by the designer using transformation rules. A hierarchical modeling notation called H-ORM is proposed to show these hierarchical views and model more complex semi-structured data constructs and constraints. We also propose an algorithm to map hierarchical H-ORM views to XML schema language.