Re: relational tables and objects

Alfredo Novoa wrote:
>On 31 Oct 2002 00:26:09 +0100, hidders_at_REMOVE.THIS.uia.ua.ac.be (Jan
>Hidders) wrote:
>
>>Just for my understanding, your library doesn't provide persistency, does
>>it? So since your data is going to be in main memory, why would you want
>>to represent your data in the relational model?
>
>The relational model is the best known form for representing and
>manipulating data.

It is? Gee, I guess we then better give a call to Donald Knuth and tell him to rewrite his "The Art of Computer Programming" books. :-)

>>That is not what the relational model was designed for and in almost all
>>cases a more specific data structure will perform better.
>
>The relational model was not designed for hard disks nor RAM. It is a
>logical model.

Indeed, a logical model for large shared data banks. There was a reason why Codd chose that title.

>Performance and the relational model are independent. A main memory
>relational DBMS may perform as fast as any kind of main memory DBMS.

Sure. But the relevant question here is if you need a DBMS, whatever the type. Not every application needs a DBMS.

• Jan Hidders