Re: The wisdom of the object mentors (Was: Searching OO Associations with RDBMS Persistence Models)

On 2006-05-30 05:32:15 -0500, "Alfredo" <alfredono_at_gmail.com> said:

> Bob,
>
> You had the "object" warning in the subject line O:-)
>
> When managers want a new information system they usually contact with
> an application programmer (without any database skills) trained by
> supposed experts like this. No database expert is asked in the process.
>
> I think that "mentors" like this should be debunked. They are making a
> lot more harm than Dawn and the likes.

This begins to approach a substantive argument, so I'll address it with substance and ignore the obligatory ad-hominem cowardice.

There is a difference between data modeling and databases. Data modeling is an important discipline that must be considered for every application. A good data model is a critical part of a good system architecture and, along with the partitioning of behavior, is close to the core value of the system.

A DBMS is a technical detail. Decisions about it should be deferred as long as possible. The decision to use Oracle is NOT at the core of the system. The decision to use SQL or Relational technology is NOT at the core of the system. But the structure of the data IS. That structure can, and should, be decided in a technolgy agnostic way for as long as possible.

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