Re: A good book

Bob Badour <bbadour_at_pei.sympatico.ca> wrote:
> Are you suggesting that predicate calculus is just some different tool?
>

I'm suggesting that you've yet to establish the connection between:

(a) predicate calculus and elegant code
(b) databases and predicate calculus

I am, therefore, looking for sources that explain that connection. I don't think Dijkstra does (a) except in certain domains that involve certain *uses* of predicate calculus to ensure the correctness of application code, which are not relevant to databases inr eadily apparent ways; and I don't think he does (b) at all. If you disagree, I'd like to see a reference... but I've read a good bit of Dijsktra's writing, INCLUDING his book "Predicate Calculus and Program Semantics", and I haven't seen it; and just "the EWD archives" doesn't point too clearly.

I'm not saying these relationships don't exist. Rather, I entirely trust that (b) exists, but I don't want to trust people; I want to understand the connection. I also think (a) probably exists at least in some limited form, limited because of course I can think of all sorts of ways to write inelegant code while applying results from predicate calculus, and I'd like to understand the relationship better there. I'm looking for sources that can explain them so that I understand the relationships better.

-- 
Chris Smith - Lead Software Developer / Technical Trainer
MindIQ Corporation