A Question on Integrety

I have a client who's business is to collect and improve data, wich is eventually published in a telephone directory. Initially, the data is allowed to be in a poor state: certain job roles require only finding minimal data and throwing it in. Later down the line, someone else has to improve the quality of this data so that it can be printed in the phone directory, perhaps by adding additional information or refining that already there. There are also many other stages where the rules governing the data are contextually sensitive to the current stage of the data in it's lifecycle.

For me, this raises an interesting question about data integrety. How do I design a database for entities that are subject to different business rules throughout their lifecycle!? I could easily set up the relational integrety for any one "stage", but this would not be applicable at all times. For example, if data is ready for print, it has to conform to many rules. However, if it is undergoing quality control, then there are far less rules.

I ask this mainly becuase it's not something I've come across when learnign about logical or physical modelling, and I was just wondering if anyone else had!?

Cheers,

Tobes Received on Thu Dec 11 2003 - 23:47:52 CET