Re: Counting propositions

From: x <x-false_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2004 19:18:12 +0300
Message-ID: <40cdceca$1@post.usenet.com>

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"Jonathan Leffler" <jleffler_at_earthlink.net> wrote in message news:lNjzc.160$w07.69_at_newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> x wrote:
> > "Laconic2" <laconic2_at_comcast.net> wrote:
> >>"x" <x-false_at_yahoo.com> wrote:
> >>> If tuples in a relational relation(ship) (or relvar) are
> >>> propositions, what is the meaning of:
> >>>
> >>>select count(distinct *) as nr
> >>>from <relvar>
> >>>
> >>>and the like ?
> >>
> >> Before dealing with your question, we have to decode the intent
> >> behind the wildcard.
> >>
> >> In particular, when does the wildcard get expanded to the list of
> >> all the columns? At compile time? at execution time?
> >>It makes a difference.
> >
> > At compile time.
> > But when is compile time ? :-)

> Logically equivalent to when the query starts execution - in embedded
> SQL, at the time of the OPEN of a cursor.

> If the system has no pre-compilation phase, then that's a given - all
> statements are handled that way.

> If, like IBM DB2, you have an elaborate pre-compilation phase, then an
> automatic recompile would occur if the table had changed enough to
> invalidate the previous query plan - and adding a column would surely
> do that!

> If something changes between the time of PREPARE and OPEN, then either
> the OPEN will fail or the query will be recompiled - so that doesn't
> matter either.

Thanks for the informations.

> As a matter of good practice (and following relational theory rather
> than SQL practice), the answer to the query should be the same as:

> SELECT COUNT(*) AS nr FROM <relvar>

> because the <relvar> should have either a primary key or one or more
> candidate keys that enforce uniqueness without needing the DISTINCT.

Sorry for the distraction.
I intended to ask what is the meaning of 'nr' .

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Received on Mon Jun 14 2004 - 11:18:12 CDT