Build the Systems That the Textbooks Only Talk AboutLittle has been written about exactly how to build a data model for a real-world production environment. A Practical Guide to Logical Data Modeling is an indispensable handbook, whether you are a data modeling novice or a seasoned professional. It features a best practices approach that shows you what actions to take, or to avoid, to build successful systems. The book starts with an in-depth tutorial on the Entity-Relationship Model-the most popular data modeling approach in use today. It then presents a set of guidelines that can help eliminate errors that, too often, turn a project success into a project failure. It continues with a step-by-step explanation of exactly how to build a platform-independent logical data model, including interviewing techniques, user presentation recommendations, and formal walkthrough review advice. The book ends with a look at the Entity-Relationship alternatives IDEF1X and the Unified Modeling Language (UML). This book contains real-world advice for the systems practitioner working in the corporate trenches. Whether you are a project manager, systems analyst, or database designer, you will benefit from the author's recommendations.