Re: What are we asking of a data model?

"SPeacock" <Xpeacock_at_pacbell.net> wrote in message news:4001BE3B.3BFF4B97_at_pacbell.net...
>
> "Dawn M. Wolthuis" wrote:
>
> > I'm sure we cannot get unanimous agreement on this, but can we get a
good
> > statement of what it is we are trying to accomplish with a data model?
> >
> > For example, it seems that some are asking a question such as "What
> > mathematical model for structuring data is the simplest we can find for
> > hosting predicates and related propositions?" (and I'm sure someone
else
> > can word that better, so please take a crack at it)
> >
> > while others are asking: "which data model is most likely to yield
database
> > implementations that are the most cost-effective for the development and
> > on-going maintenance of software applications?" (again, not a
> > perfectly-stated question).
> >
> > I am looking for answers to the latter question. My interest is in data
> > models whose implementations yield software developer productivity both
with
> > initial development of applications and on-going support.
> >
> > If we were able to set up a contest to collect emperical evidence from
> > various data model implementations and how they relates to developer
> > productivity, would that have any bearing on this discussion or would
some
> > database theorists consider such scientific (emperical) data collection
to
> > be irrelevant to what they care about? I recognize that no
implementation
> > perfectly matches a mathematical model, so perhaps some are more
interested
> > in comparing only the models and not looking at what these models have
to do
> > with actual database implementations.
> >
> > Thanks for any insight you can give on this. --dawn
>
> The main purpose for a data model is to represent the relationships
between
> data.

SPeacock, you are as stupid and ignorant as Dawn. You deserve each other. plonk

For the others out there, see what Codd wrote regarding the purpose of a data model a couple decades ago and ignore these bozos. Received on Mon Jan 12 2004 - 23:10:07 CET