Re: citations of nature
Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2004 00:09:55 -0600
Message-ID: <btav3n$bl2$1_at_news.netins.net>
"Anith Sen" <anith_at_bizdatasolutions.com> wrote in message
news:_r6Kb.8802$6B.884_at_newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> "mountain man" <hobbit_at_southern_seaweed.com.op> wrote in message
> news:G83Kb.77896$aT.48598_at_news-server.bigpond.net.au...
> > "Bob Badour" <bbadour_at_golden.net> wrote in message
> > news:Z8Cdnat3hPU0b2qiRVn-vg_at_golden.net...
> > > "Marshall Spight" <mspight_at_dnai.com> wrote in message
> > > news:uFOJb.52423$I07.174447_at_attbi_s53...
> > > > "Dawn M. Wolthuis" <dwolt_at_tincat-group.com> wrote in message
> > > news:bt7n7f$iq5$1_at_news.netins.net...
> > > > >
> > > > > The definition I'm currently using is:
> > > > > Database: Retrievable data encoded on a persistent storage device
> > > combined
> > > > > with metadata - information about that data.
> > > >
> > > > I think that too much thinking these days goes into the
"persistence"
> > > part.
> > >
> > > Sheesh! What nonsense! Compare the complex jargon above with Darwen's
> > > observation that "A database is a set of facts."
> >
> >
> > So what is a "fact"?
> > An element of data?
> >
> > How might this definition deal with program objects
> > (such as stored procedures) in the database?
> >
> You may want to read through the following, to get an idea of what a
> database is.
> http://www.dbpd.com/vault/9807date.htm
>
> --
> - Anith
> ( Please reply to newsgroups only )
>
I've read definitions from Date and Darwin, including this one -- that a database is a set of true propositions, however, while I have no problem defining data models abstractly, defining a database as a set is a little too theoretical in that it does not convey the practical reality that when a company has a database, they actually have an asset, not simply an abstract set.
Anyone who wants to can define a database as a set, but unless I see some glaring problem with defining it to be what regular people actually think it is (even if adding some precision to the language), I'll continue to do so. I suppose someone could define a car engine in an abstract way too...? Cheers! --dawn Received on Mon Jan 05 2004 - 07:09:55 CET