Re: Non-text database theory

From: Rune Allnor <allnor_at_tele.ntnu.no>
Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2008 12:12:54 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <4c561a4e-872e-4e4e-89f6-5311f2b48c11_at_k37g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>


On 5 Sep, 19:24, jefftyzzer <jefftyz..._at_sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> On Sep 5, 2:26 am, Rune Allnor <all..._at_tele.ntnu.no> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Hi all.
>
> > This might be off topic for this group; if so please direct me to a
> > more
> > appropriate group.
>
> > I have 20 years of programming experience (hobby / personal scale)
> > and
> > am getting my feet wet with databases for the first time. The project
> > at
> > hand needs a database to handle large amounts of data. The data are
> > measured by sonar and amounts to the hundreds of GB, so one would
> > prefer to save the data on some binary format to save time on the
> > text <-> binary conversions.
>
> > The textbooks I have found on database theory solely deal with text
> > data, i.e. data that are stored as tables in text files, which I
> > suppose
> > is OK for educational purposes.
>
> > 1) Where can I find material on 'real-life' databases which deal with
> > the
> >    storage and handling of binary data?
> > 2) Are there database implementations which are better suited for my
> >    application than others? I would like to keep the application
> > platform
> >    independent, and use C++ as my programming language.
>
> > Rune
>
> Hmmm...there's virtually no limit to the kinds of data a modern RDBMS
> can store, particularly with the extended type capabilities that came
> along with the object-relational wave of the last decade. The RMoD
> certainly doesn't circumscribe (data) types.

I'm a total nephyte on the subject; acronyms are foreign to me. RDBMS = Relational DataBase Management System...? RMoD = ?

> Anyway, although it sounds like your textbook is using textual
> attributes in its examples, RDBMSs are quite capable of efficiently
> storing and allowing you to manipulate binary data. Are you speaking
> of sonar *images* here, or some other, more fine-grained, measurement?

It's anything and everything. Lots of data, measurements and information flowing all over the place; keeping track is a full-time job. Literally.

> As to recommended books, I think for what you're working on, stepping
> away from theory books (not in general, mind you!) and looking for
> books that are specific to the RDBMS you're working with (which is, by
> the way, what?) would take you farther on this specific question.

Just looking at options for now. I know what need be done, the question is if there are good or bad ways of doing it.

> For books that are more theory-oriented, perhaps _Databases, Types and
> the Relational Model_ by Date would be of interest to you.

Thanks.

Rune Received on Fri Sep 05 2008 - 21:12:54 CEST

Original text of this message