Re: Database schema for univesal usage

lauri.pietarinen_at_atbusiness.com wrote:
>
> I actually agree with your viewpoint and I personally tend to design
> databases that are tightly fit.

Recently I came into contact with a colleague of my university who actually does research on the differences between more and less-generic data models. One of his experiments was designed to test the hypothesis that more generic data models would be easier to maintain. To be more specific, he looked at the case where the data model has to be extended because of new requirements. He found that for more generic data models this sometimes actually becomes harder, i.e., it took more time for the designer to understand the old model and come up with the new design, and they made more mistakes. That is a cost that is often overlooked.

Of course we all already knew this, but it is still nice to see ones intuitions confirmed by scientific measurements. :-)

I don't think he has published it yet, so I cannot give a reference at the moment.

• Jan Hidders