Microsoft Word - Sam's Teach Yourself MySQL in 21 Days - SAMS.doc

Figure 3.11 The Customers object.
The other objects will be a little harder to describe. Let's start with the Products object. Every product
has a price and a name. It would be nice to associate a description with the product, so we'll include
one here. Another field you may want to include is the manufacturer. Based on the project
requirements, you probably want to include a picture of your product. The end result would look like
Table 3.1:
Table 3.1 The Products Object

Products

Name

Price

Description

Manufacturer

Picture
You would perform the same process on the rest of your objects until you're satisfied with your
descriptions. Keep in mind that not only are you describing the objects, you're also looking for
information that would help the business accomplish its goal. For instance, you added a picture
description to the Products table. A picture doesn't necessarily describe your object, but you know you
need to have a picture of the item to display on your Web site. This is when you form that association.
Take a look at the finished objects in Table 3.2 and see if you would have come up with something
similar.
Table 3.2 The Completed Business Objects

Orders Transactions Shippers Products Customers

Order Date Transaction

Date

Name Name First Name

Quantity Shipper Location Description Last Name

Item Amount Paid Shipping

Method

Price Address

Customer Order

Number

Active Manufacturer City

Custom Ship Date^ Picture State