Re: Integrity - SQL vs Indexes vs Stored Procedures.

Unfortunatly this will be populated from a web based system. The user will be importing reports as they receive them. I guess I can make a seperate table that stores report name and period and have them fill that out as a quasi check before they run the import.
I just hate depending on users to do the right thing. There is no JCL.
markp7832_at_my-deja.com wrote in message <8895ki$k6m$1_at_nnrp1.deja.com>...
>In article <2lPn4.274$Qn4.4161_at_cmnws01.we.mediaone.net>,
> "Jon Griffin" <nospam_at_e88.org> wrote:
>> I am interested in opinions from this group on the following issue:
>> I am building a DB backend for some imported reports (coming from
 excel,
>> word and other places). The backend is Oracle 8.1.5.
>>
>> Since these reports were designed by non-programming professionals
 there is
>> no unique id. I am importing (from CSV) into a table and herein lies
 the
>> catch. I need to make sure that the table doesn't get imported twice.
>>
>> I know that I can create an index of a bunch of columns and hope that
 they
>> are unique (fairly easy actually), but theoretically indexes shouldn't
>> really be used to enforce these rules. Anybody have a similar
 situation? I
>> guess I could use a trigger and populate an extra field and then make
 that
>> unique.
>>
>> I have a little time (unlike most projects lately) so I would rather
 do it
>> right!
>>
>> TIA.
>>
>Since all you are doing is storing a report on-line I am not sure the
>unique key theory applies to your problem.
>
>If you add a another column to hold a unique key, that will not prevent
>anyone from reloading the same report again. After all your trigger or
>Oracle sequence will generate a new unique key for the row so only an
>index on data could stop duplicates from being inserted, but this may
>not be possible for all reports.
>
>After all, unless you strip the headings won't they be duplicated?
>Also you may well insert blank lines. You system could store these
>only once but you did not give much in the way of details.
>
>Loading a report twice if you have a job control system should not be a
>problem. If you have no job control system or the customer will run
>the loads themselves then perhaps you can make use of the Oracle
>truncate command to clear the table out as part of the load logic.
>
>If you do not truncate the table before reuse then you will need to add
>a line number type column to be able to guarentee that data is display
>in the right order since the last block deleted from will be first on
>the freespace list.
>
>--
>Mark D. Powell -- The only advice that counts is the advice that
> you follow so follow your own advice --
>
>
>Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
>Before you buy.
Received on Sun Feb 20 2000 - 00:00:00 CET