Course Refection - Da Costa, Marino

This probably one of the most interesting classes I have ever taken at Drexel. Besides its fun and interesting, it also gives a lot of information about building technology. The most enjoyable assignment was the final project. I never thought I was going to design an underground building using Revit. There were some difficulties but the Revit assignment helped me and my team partner, Bach, to finish the final project successfully.

 I took info 210 and learnt a lot about database but I didn’t get a chance to learn how to use Database Access a lot since the professor from info 210 more focused on the Oracle Database program. The database assignment definitely deeper my understanding in database relationship between 1 to many better. Database allows you to think and break complex information into groups that have relationship with each other.

Furthermore, it was really fascinating to learn from two guest speakers about sensor and BIM. I personally gained a lot of information from both speakers. I never thought of sensors whenever I entered any building in the past but now it’s weird that whenever I go to a new building I am always curious to find out what time of sensors are in that building and where they are located.

Another interesting thing about this Intelligent building class was having an opportunity to learn and share knowledge between students in class. Some students have more or deeper understanding about intelligent building and technology and the fact that they share what they know with others is truly amazing. The blog assignments are definitely better way to connect the students with each other in class.

All the feedbacks that the professor Mitchell provided after students submitted their work assignments are very useful. The professor took his time to write all his feedbacks as clear as possible so the students can take and learn. I have experienced writing or working final projects and later submitted but never get very useful feedback in the past from some other classes. Therefore, I really appreciate that professor Mitchell has a unique way of teaching his students.

This class offers lots of information about intelligent building and technology. I am curious to see and find out about the new technology in the next 5 to 6 years. I never thought it would possible to have a 3D printer to print steel bridge in the air but hey there is one now!. This class allows you to think possible what about is going to be next in the future. It makes you think crazy about the world but I believe if you think crazy about things that never exist before you might be the next Elon Musk.

Alisson,

Thanks for sharing your reflection of this class. I am glad to hear that you gained some great knowledges from this class. I also think that database assignment was interesting even after we took the INFO 210 together. It really challenged us to crease sensors database with the real existing building. I also agree that this class is one of the best required classes for a Digital Building concentration.

Thomas,

I really enjoyed reading your reflection from this class. Especially when you talked about how BIM will impact on everything you do in the future. I also feel the same and I am glad that we learned how to use Revit in class. It was my first time learning Revit from Professor Mitchell in the previous course but I am glad he made one assignment from this class about design a building using Revit.

Lovett,

I was going to write about how the technology will affect engineers in the future as you did but I wrote quite a lot in my reflection so I didn’t. Anyway, I am glad that you brought up this topic in your reflection. I think even new technologies can be scared for us as engineers since they might take over our jobs but I think it’s good since they will help us to make the world to be a better place. We can finally design and building things that we thought impossible before.

B5 - Object Oriented Database - Marino

Object-Oriented Database

Object-oriented database is a database management system that represents its information in the form of objects. Object oriented database, which is also known as object oriented database management system (OODBMS), similar to object oriented programming languages. It can allow the user to combine the features of relational model such as transaction, concurrency, recovery into object oriented database model. There are three different features of object oriented database such as polymorphism, inheritance, and encapsulation. Polymorphism is known as object oriented programing language. It has ability to process objects according to their data type or class. Inheritance is one of the features of OODBMS that can create a new object from an existing object including all the characteristics of the existing object. Encapsulation is called one of the principal concepts in object oriented programming (OOP). It binds and manipulate the data and functions together as one unit.

The benefits of object-oriented database are composite objects and relationships, class hierarchy, no query language, no impedance mismatch, no primary keys, and one data model. One of the greatest benefits of using an OODBMS is that the user can store many different types of objects in a large class where it can also hold many medium classes as well as many smaller classes or objects. Object oriented database delivers information in a form of class hierarchy, which presents the information that easy to understand without spending too much time to get to know the details. Another benefit of object oriented database is easy to use and it does not have primary key. The user also can store or manipulate the information without spending too much time to mapping tables to objects and back unlike the rational database management system.

The downsides of the object oriented database are schema changes, language dependence. In OODBMS it is difficult to modify, update, or create the schema after completing the database management system. Usually the user has to recompile the system when the user decides to make schema changes. Another disadvantage of OODBMS is selecting the language has to only come from specific language using a specific API which also known as application language independent. This can be very confusing for some users when they are not familiar with API language.

Source: 

"AN EXPLORATION OF." Why Arent You Using An Object Oriented Database Management System? Accessed February 13, 2018. http://www.25hoursaday.com/whyarentyouusinganoodbms.html.

Object Based Databases Tutorial. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://www.tutorialride.com/object-based-databases/object-based-databases-tutorial.htm.

Beal, Vangie. "Polymorphism." What is Polymorphism? Webopedia Definition. Accessed February 13, 2018. https://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/polymorphism.html.

"OOP Concept for Beginners: What is Encapsulation." Stackify. December 01, 2017. Accessed February 13, 2018. https://stackify.com/oop-concept-for-beginners-what-is-encapsulation/.

http://pi3.informatik.uni-mannheim.de/~tneumann/oodb.pdf

Deutsch,

You did such a great job explaining Rational Database Theory! I like how first you explained the general theory about database and then you went into details explaining the concepts of Rational Database. When I was reading about object oriented database in few articles I also found some interesting information about Rational Database. One of the interesting concept of rational database that I found was the user can modify, update, or change any information that already put in the table. In object oriented database it is difficult for the user to make a change on the database once its management system is completed.

Thomas,

You explained the importance of the SQL very well. I took INFO 210 and this course was about SQL. The database program such as Oracle SQL was interesting to learn but it required a lot of attention in class and practice the program at home in order to master the program. I agree with you that SQL allow us to understand and access the database elements a lot easier compare to some other database program such as Codasyl database.  

Zac,

I felt like I had to make a comment on your post after I read the word “Primavera P6” in the first sentence of your second paragraph. I had experienced using Primavera P6 when I took one of the construction management courses. The course was really fun and it was interesting to use Primavera to make a work schedule of a construction project the fact that it’s not only easy to use to conduct a work schedule but it also shows the Critical path of the project. I personally would like to recommend you to learn about the program if you are interested in learning about scheduling database.