Re: dbdebunk 'Quote of Week' comment

dawn wrote:
> Marshall Spight wrote:
> >
> > Another difference between keys and pointers is that
> > keys are content-addressible, while pointers are
> > location-addressible.
>
> and there have been several prior discussions on pointers that I think
> got most of us to the point of understanding that the pointers that the
> relational model were eliminating were related to memory locations.
> When talking about data that serve as references to other data at the
> logical level, there is nothing in the relational model that prohibits
> or even discourages such.

I don't use the word "pointer" for such things. If we broaden the term "pointer" that far, it stops meaning much of anything. The appropriately generic term for data that *could* serve as references to other data at the logical level is "data".

> > The differences between keys and pointers are small and
> > sometimes subtle, but useful nonetheless.
> >
> It is interesting to me that the relational model that some say is
> intended as a logical model for data had as one of its goals a physical
> issue. What do you make of that? --dawn

I don't know what you're referring to.

Marshall Received on Sat Aug 27 2005 - 00:18:47 CEST