Re: 3 dimensional Oracle database

From: IANAL_VISTA <IANAL_Vista_at_hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 22 May 2005 22:43:14 GMT
Message-ID: <Xns965E9FEB84E33SunnySD@68.6.19.6>

"John F. Regus" <jfregus_at_ix.netcom.com> wrote in news:TP6ke.1380$oT1.1370_at_newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net:

> Not all data has to be historical, it can be as real-time as real-time
> can possibly get.

I'll stipulate that real time data can be recorded or stored in a DB. At any moment past that point, and whenever it is queried, it's historical! The data shows what reality was when the data was stored; even if only one second has elapsed since the COMMIT occurred. I am not saying the data is incorrect or invalid. I am saying that if ANY time has passed since the data was recorded, you now are looking at historical data.

>
> But forget that. I laid out what I think are 3 dimensions, and you
> said not so.
>
> Okay how do I stack the cells from different sources all pertaining to
> the same subject but in different formats, ie. .doc or .txt, audio,
> and .bmp or .wmf? All of which were captured at the same time but by
> different departments.

Cells? What cells. A database is NOT a spreadsheet.

CREATE TABLE RAW_SOURCE (

SUBJECT_ID            VARCHAR2(255),
DATE_TIME_CREATED     DATE,
SOURCE_TYPE           VARCHAR2(31),

-- where SOURCE_TYPE indicates TYPE of data; doc, txt, audio, bmp, etc. -- ADD ANY OTHER COLUMNS DEEMED USEFUL & NECESSARY SOURCE_DATA BLOB); I contend that a table similar to the one above meets ALL your requirements. This table can store data on multiple subjects. It stores multiple formats of data. It stores "current" & historical data.

If you want to call this a 3-Dimensional table, knock yourself up!

>
> I know you will probably say well create three columns across a row to
> contain the data from the different sources. But what do I do about
> keeping the historical data along with the present data, because the
> present data will not be replaced when newer information comes along.
> Why? The historical data and most recent data will be used for
> statistical probability patterns.

From your persepective how do you EXPLICITLY differentiate "current" data from historical data?

When does "current" data morphs into historical data? Who, what, how does "current" data transform into historical data? Received on Sun May 22 2005 - 17:43:14 CDT