Re: cdt glossary - TABLE
Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 11:36:05 +0200
Message-ID: <42db7809$0$61586$e4fe514c_at_news.xs4all.nl>
dawn wrote:
> David Cressey wrote:
>>mAsterdam wrote: >> >>>The current (0.0.4) glossary entry, >>> >>> >>>>[Table/Row/Column] (SQL-DBMS) >>>>Table: A collection of columns (the table header) and rows (the body). >>>>Row: A collection of values, conforming to the table header columns. >>>> >>>>One table may contain data about one entity, >>>>about several entities, about one or several >>>>relationships or any combination. >>>>A column can be seen as the attribute of the >>>>entity/one of the entities/relationships >>>>about which the table is concerned. >>> >>>, says nothing about the rows being ordered or not. >>>Should it? >> >>The above is correct, in my opinion.
>
> I guess it depends on what profession we are in. If we are in a
> professional narrowly defined as relational database theory, then I'm
> OK with definitions of this nature. If we want to play in the
> profession of software development, then it would be more helpful if we
> qualify our terms when using them more specifically like this.
> I would
> say that this definition is about tables defined to rdbms tools or
> tables related to relational databases. Instead, this would be much
> better definition for "SQL Table" or "Relational Table", I would think.
> The software development industry certainly uses the term table to
> refer to a number of representations of data that do not align with the
> above definition. There are some characteristics of all (at least
> most) uses of the term, however. I would think we would want the term
> "table" to be defined to include implementations of tables in a variety
> of languages and tools to avoid miscommunication.
>
> Off the top of my head (rather than researching it right now), most
> uses of the word table would have the reader visualizing a
> two-dimensional matrix of values. Some would include a header for such
> values while others would have a separate object that is a table
> header.
Again, a broader 'TABLE' entry is welcome.
>>In particular, the word "collection" is, in this context, more useful than >>either "list" or "array". >> >>The question of "ordered" goes beyond the definition, IMO, even though >>it's an interesting one.
>
> Agreed. Cheers! --dawn
I'll just wait a few more weeks - maybe there will be other suggestions/opinions on this. Received on Mon Jul 18 2005 - 11:36:05 CEST