How to do an ER Diagram
As a follow-up to my earlier post, I found yet another great free resource that the "professor" and the poor students taking that class should look at. I found this via the excellent material Stanford provides for their open course on Databases.
You'll notice how the example ER diagrams look nothing like the one the "professor" created. They're clear, readable, have descriptive text, and use standard UML notation. They also have accompanying SQL to show how the two languages relate and translate to one another.
And if anyone is wondering (because I've been asked):
- I don't know if I'll name the "professor".
- I really, really, really want to. It pisses me off that this person is allowed to teach, especially a paid course.
- I'm constrained by the wishes of others who want to avoid trouble with the "professor" and the school.
- Sorry, I can't provide hints, at least not privately. If I name anyone or anything it will be on this blog.
- Sorry for the unnecessary intrigue and mystery, I hate it as much as you do.
- Yeah, you really should play with that Powerpoint. Don't just glance at it, move things around. It's hilarious.
At the risk of starting something (else) that I won't finish, I may write about the university in question, especially to compare their material to what Stanford is providing. Not sure how to do it yet, without it sounding like a cheap shot, useless comparison, or angst-ridden/raging/vituperative babble. (I know, why stop now?)
But, you know what? I think it's fair.