CRDSS_Task1_16-1_DatabaseDocumentation

Home Browse Search

CRDSS TASK MEMORANDUM 1.16-1 Database Documentation 1.0 ISSUE The CRDSS database will be well documented to promote understanding among team personnel and to facilitate the transfer of data from the State's existing dBase database and from other sources. Issues related to the database documentation are: What form of documentation will be available (on-line, hard-copy)? ? What software will be used to implement the documentation? ? What will the be the extent of the documentation? ? 2.0 DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS Documentation for the CRDSS database is presented in the appendices to the Phase I report. Documentation for the State's existing dBase and planned HydroBase databases has been collected by RTi to aid in the design and implementation of the CRDSS database. Much of the database documentation to date consists of technical information that describes the structure of the database (e.g., table entries and entity relationships). The Microsoft Windows program ERWIN (Entity Relationship for WINdows) is being used to define the structure of the database. This tool allows graphical representations of the database to be exported as PostScript files for printing. ERWIN also allows text descriptions of database tables to be saved as ASCII files. The PostScript output is not easily incorporated into on-line documentation because the database is so big that the PostScript printout comprises many sheets of paper. This problem would most likely exist with any database utility because of the complexity of the database. Consequently, database documentation that is available on-line will consist of overview graphics and database component information (e.g., descriptions of individual tables). PostScript files containing ERWIN output can be placed on the system so that database information can be printed. PostScript files can also be Mosaic Mosaic, displayed by and will be accessible from where appropriate. Documentation for Phase IIa database work falls into several areas including database design (continuation of previous work), database population, and database access. As discussed above, Mosaic database design documentation will be implemented at a high-level using . Technical documentation will use UNIX man pages. ?Hard to handle? documentation will be available as PostScript files. Procedures that are used to populate the database are being documented as data are acquired and manipulated. A decision as to where such documentation will reside will be made based on the complexity of such documentation and the sensitivity of the information. Currently, documentation in the form of ASCII README files is being created for each set of data that is migrated into the CRDSS. These files are stored with the data and reference utilities that are used to perform the migration. Man pages for utilities are prepared if the utilities can be used for future data 1 A275 6.29.94 1.16-1. Malers, Rohlfs