Re: A new proof of the superiority of set oriented approaches: numerical/time serie linear interpolation

Cimode wrote:
...
> Brian,
>
> Don't you think you are overcomplicating things?
>

I certainly do. RT isn't as complicated or subtle as this thread is making it out to be. Relvars are nothing more a language device (as are dbvars), for talking about relations, whether the language is D or English. They merely serve to save us enumerating a relation everytime we refer to it. The name of a relvar stands for a given relation in a given conversation. All assignment does is allow one to replace one relation with another. A given relation has one value now and forever.   Codd realized that such names could be used to stand for different relation values at different times, ie., the values of different relations that happen to have the same attributes. I think it's okay to talk about mutations and such when one is talking about a db language but there is no such notion when one is talking about relations. Maybe Codd opened the door to such myticism when he mentioned "time-varying relations". Unfortunate phrase, if you ask me. Words like "state" are akin.

p Received on Wed May 02 2007 - 21:47:50 CEST