Translating relational schema into XML schema definition with data semantic preservation and XSD graph

Many legacy systems have been created by using relational database operating not for the Internet expression. Since the relational database is not an efficient way for data explosion, electronic transfer of data, and electronic business on the Web, we introduce a methodology in which a relational schema will be translated to an Extensible Markup Language (XML) schema definition for creating an XML database that is a simple and efficient format on the Web. We apply the Indirect Schema Translation Method that is a semantic-based methodology in this project. The mechanism is that the Relational Schema will be translated into the conceptual model, an Extended Entity Relationship (EER) Model using Reverse Engineering. Afterward, the EER model will be mapped to an XML Schema Definition Language (XSD) Graph as an XML conceptual schema using Semantic Transformation. Finally, the XSD Graph will be mapped into the XSD as an XML logical schema in the process of Forward Engineering, and the data semantics of participation, cardinality, generalization, aggregation, categorization, N-ary and U-ary relationship are preserved in the translated XML schema definition. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.