Visiomodeler/NORMA - Object Role Modeling (the other ORM) - who uses it?

Question

For a number of years I've used Object Role Modeling to design and validate my database schema designs. (The appurtenant software products have been variously named Visiomodeler, Infomodeler, Visual Studio Enterprise Architect ORM Studio, etc.)

It's the only truly conceptual database modeling tool I've ever found to be at all useful; in fact, it's one of few conceptual modeling tools of any kind that I have found useful for actually designing real working software artifacts.

But it now seems to be a fading methodology. Does anyone else remember it, consider it useful, still use it? Note: google for Infomodeler and you can still find a Microsoft link to download a working but unsupported distribution for Windows.

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Update with some more references I've come across:

Scott Ambler - Agile Modeling

Scot Becker - Building a Better Data Model

Wikipedia seems to be updating regularly.

Sourceforge has a plugin for Visual Studio.

Answer 1

I remember reading quite a bit about it a few years ago, particularly in an online magazine The Journal of Conceptual Modeeling - which seems to have ceased in November 2006. It sounded promising, but I never actually used it.

The technique is still used in articles by Terry Halpin on BRCommunity.com.

The most up-to-date web site on ORM appears to be ORM.net, which refers to events in 2008, and an "in-beta" tool called NORMA.

Answer 2

While ORM certainly lacks the popularity of UML or ER, there are some recent and ongoing developments in ORM(2) that might ensure you that it is not a fading methodology :

• The second edition of Information Modeling and Relational Databases by Terry Halpin was released earlier this year.
• As Tony Andrews mentioned Halpin's team is currently also developing Neumont ORM Architect (NORMA) that supports the ORM2 notation. The NORMA code is open source, but is developed as an add on to Visual Studio 2005 or Visual Studio 2008.
• A subset of the ORM notation and methodology is used by VUB STARLab in their DOGMA Ontology research project.
• Collibra, a STARLab spin off, uses an adapted ORM notation in their Collibra Studio product.

Some Academic Workshops:

• ORM'08
• ORM'09

Disclaimer: I am an ex STARLab employee and know the people who started Collibra.

Answer 3

ORM is certainly NOT a "fading methodology".

The website www.ormfoundation.org contains up-to-date information on ORM. You can download the latest realest of the ORM2 tool NORMA together with ORM2 tutorials.

The ORM Foundation website has an active forum that is monitored and frequently visited by Dr Terry Halpin (who formalised ORM) and Matt Curland (Chief architect of NORMA)

Answer 4

Yes, I still use this tool as well, and very much agree re: ORM's value -- it's a great modeling tool / technique, IMHO.

Answer 5

Oh man, old question, but I just have to say that I love ORM! Having had a chance to work with Terry Halpin and contribute to NORMA was one of the best CS related experiences I've had. I don't think it's fading at all, it's just not as publicized of a modeling language. I know that ORM is popular in parts of Europe, and of course Australia. Hopefully some day it'll be the de-facto modeling language around the world, it's certainly capable, and the power of a tool like NORMA, that enforces normalization is incredible.

Answer 6

Gordon Everest, a professor at the University of Minnesota, teaches a class on ORM. It's called Advanced Database Design. He uses half a semester to teach the underlying assumptions of relational database's and what the limitations are. He then uses the second half of the semester to explain why ORM is better and to teach you how to use/think in ORM. He used the Visio for Enterprise Architects in the past but has moved on to using NORMA.

The class is getting harder to keep running as students in the program dwindle, but it is still alive and recommended by everyone who has taken the course.

Answer 7

Visiomodeler is so-far unsurpassed in its ability to build a conceptual model from simple fact sentences. It is awesome. I have found nothing that comes close.