Re: Database schema for univesal usage

Chris wrote:
> Does anyone know about a intentions to build a general database
schema
> (based on ER) that can be used for different purposes without
changing
> the physical layer (tables, views)?
> Are such ideas described in the literature?
>
> Thanx in advance
>
> Chris

That is what I believe most database providers do. The database engine itself is usually a database driven by the master schema.

If you're talking about a "universal application", I guess you would just write a thousand-table schema with a thousand columns for each table and define every permutation of every group of columns with both a unique and non-unique index- Would anyone want to use it? I doubt it.

My intuition thinks that the problems of customization/ maintaining a "universal application" would be harder than actually developing a custom app.

My humble opinion after 25 years of experience; Databases that are well designed, managed and "cared for", are very organic structures that begin to almost take on an almost mystical life-form of their own based upon the environment they are used in and the people who use them.

HTH- kevDot Received on Tue May 17 2005 - 14:30:39 CDT