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Database in Depth
This book sheds light on the principles behind the
relational model, which is fundamental to all
database-backed applications--and, consequently, most of the
work that goes on in the computing world today. Database in
Depth: The Relational Model for Practitioners goes beyond
the hype and gets to the heart of how relational
databases
actually work.
Ideal for experienced database developers and designers,
this concise guide gives you a clear view of the
technology--a view that's not influenced by any vendor or
product. Featuring an extensive set of exercises, it will
help you:
understand why and how the relational model is still
directly relevant to modern database technology (and will
remain so for the foreseeable future)
see why and how the SQL standard is seriously deficient
use the best current theoretical knowledge in the design of
their databases and database applications
make informed decisions in their daily database professional
activities
Database in Depth will appeal not only to database
developers and designers, but also to a diverse field of
professionals and academics, including database
administrators (DBAs), information modelers, database
consultants, and more. Virtually everyone who deals with
relational databases should have at least a passing
understanding of the fundamentals of working with relational
models.
Author C.J. Date has been involved with the relational model
from its earliest days. An exceptionally clear-thinking
writer, Date lays out principle and theory in a manner that
is easily understood. Few others can speak as
authoritatively the topic of relational databases as Date
can.
Foreword Preface A Remark on Terminology Principles, Not Products A Review of the Original Model Model Versus Implementation Properties of Relations Relations Versus Relvars Values Versus Variables Summary Exercises Domain-Constrained Comparisons Data Value Atomicity So What's a Type? Scalar Versus Nonscalar Types Summary Exercises What's a Tuple? Some Important Consequences What's a Relation? Further Important Consequences Why Duplicate Tuples Are Prohibited Why Nulls Are Prohibited TABLE_DUM and TABLE_DEE Summary Exercises Updating Is Set-at-a-Time More on Candidate Keys More on Foreign Keys More on Views Relvars and Predicates More on Relations Versus Types Summary Exercises More on Closure The Original Operators Evaluating SQL Expressions Extend and Summarize Group and Ungroup Expression Transformation Relational Comparisons More on Relational Assignment The ORDER BY Operator Summary Exercises Type Constraints Database Constraints Transactions Why Database Constraint Checking Must Be Immediate But Doesn't Some Checking Have to Be Deferred? Constraints and Predicates Miscellaneous Issues Summary Exercises The Place of Design Theory Functional Dependencies and Boyce/Codd Normal Form Join Dependencies and Fifth Normal Form Two Cheers for Normalization Orthogonality Some Remarks on Physical Design Summary Exercises The Relational Model Defined Objectives of the Relational Model Some Database Principles The Relational Model Versus Others What Remains to Be Done? Summary Exercises index
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