Generalization is a process in DBMS where a higher-level, generalized entity is derived from multiple lower-level, specialized entities. It involves identifying common attributes and relationships among entities and creating a more abstract representation that encompasses those shared characteristics. Overall, generalization takes a bottom-up approach, starting from specific details and gradually building a more abstract and comprehensive representation of the data.
Let's consider a simple example of generalization using the concept of vehicles.
In this example, we have various types of vehicles. Each of these vehicle types has specific attributes and behaviors. However, they also share common characteristics. We can use generalization to create a higher-level, more abstract entity called ‘Vehicle’ that encompasses these shared attributes.