Re: A numerical methods viewpoint on OO/FP/Relational

mikharakiri_at_yahoo.com (Mikito Harakiri) writes:

> Once again, in Constraint DB we have completely different set of
> operations, it's no longer just project, restrict, join, etc. From
> your responce, I feel that you think of constraint databases as just
> Relational databases with some fancy constraints. Maybe the word
> "constraint" is somewaht misleading, as it halready has very well
> defined meaning in the Relational Model.

I'd never seen the word "constraint" applied to a DB but then I don't follow the field so that's hardly surprising :-) A term I'm more familiar with is "deductive" as in "deductive database". Is that the same thing? If so then I recommend [Colomb:dda:1998] to anyone who is intereted in dipping a toe into the area.

_at_book
{ Colomb:dda:1998
, author= "Robert M. Colomb"
, title= "Deductive Databases and their Applications"
, publisher= "Taylor \& Francis"
, year= 1998
, refs= 33
, source= "own"
, checked= 19980816
, cost= "UKP 17.99"
, isbn= "0-7484-0797-9"
, blurb= "{\em Deductive Databases and their Applications} is an
  introductory text aimed at those with an undergraduate knowledge of   database and information systems. It has grown out of a series of   lectures taught by the author at the University of Queensland and   hence comes complete with exercises and solutions to encourage   students to tackle problems practically as well as theoretically.

  Whilst relational databases have been extremely successful for   constructing persistent object stores for a large class of   applications, there is a growing number of applications not suited   for this technology. Hence deductive databases have emerged from   relational databases and the maturing expert system technology.   Colomb describes the origins of deductive database paradigm -- the   datalog model. He then considers how to design deductive database   systems as an outgrowth of standard conceptual modelling and   software engineering method used for existing information systems   development. Like all database technology, deductive databases rely   upon query optimization techniques -- a number of which are   described, including the magic sets method.

  The final chapters are devoted to the closely related topics of   propositional expert systems, integrity constraint specification and   evaluation, and update propagation. Particular attention is paid to   CASE tool repositories, via a chapter devoted to the design of a   deductive database as a CASE tool to support the development methods   advocated in the text. This is a unique text designed to be a   complete learning package for students and a useful reference book   for professionals."
} Received on Tue Jul 10 2001 - 01:03:50 CEST