Re: Skinny Database

josephanderson_at_my-deja.com wrote:
>
> I have heard that it is possible to design the ultimate abstract
> database that consists of one table for data and one table for
> joins. The advantage to this design is when table structures
> are constantly changing or new entities are constantly being
> added. The "work" so to speak is transferred from changing
> the table design to manipulating the data out of the database.
>
> I have an assignment involving storing data for financial
> products (derivatives, etc.). Since new products are contantly
> being added with different characteristics, I am wondering
> if this pure abstraction approach might be the way to go.
>
> Can anyone explain to me what these two tables would look like,
> their attributes and their join relationships?

  Look in Ullman's "Principles of Database and Knowledge-base Systems", Vol. 2. I think it's the last chapter... I seem to remember seeing something like this. Even if it's not there, reading Ullman will make you a better person... Received on Tue Jan 18 2000 - 00:00:00 CET