Re: In an RDBMS, what does "Data" mean?

Sorry for the delayed response.

"Mike Nicewarner" <psyclo_at_nospam_datamodel.org> wrote in message news:<c82ulk$gcl$1_at_news.netins.net>...
> I agree that Data is defined as facts and that the facts could be encoded in
> some way. However, information is simply defined as data in context.

Context. Important.

> For
> instance, a value of data could be 12. 12 by itself is data, but it lacks
> meaning until you put it in context to say it is a specific baby's weight at
> 1 year, taken at the doctor's office on a specific date. Then, the date in
> the context becomes information that can be used. Much of the data in a
> database is in a very limited and incomplete context, and is incorrectly
> called information, because of business assumptions about the missing
> context.
>

I'm thinking back to a previous thread in this ng where the fact that relationships between data can be implied by their physical proximity in a Pick database. It makes good sense logically to physically store data in context. Never mind Codd's wallop.

Mike.

> My 2.5 cents. :-)
>
> --
> Mike Nicewarner [TeamSybase]
> http://www.datamodel.org
> mike_at_nospam!datamodel.org
> Sybase product enhancement requests:
> http://www.isug.com/cgi-bin/ISUG2/submit_enhancement
Received on Fri Jun 04 2004 - 04:39:36 CEST