Re: In an RDBMS, what does "Data" mean?

"Eric Kaun" <ekaun_at_yahoo.com> wrote in message news:4u2yc.7127$n65.4184_at_newssvr33.news.prodigy.com...

> Cute... but the whole point of building a system is to impart some form to
> the data, to render it manipulable. Otherwise we can stick with pieces of
> paper in filing cabinets, if that meets the users' needs.

I'd like to suggest that "form follows function" applies here. It's architecture 101.

The function of data inside a database is profoundly different from the function of data inside a file cabinet. That's why the form is different.

>
> On second thought, you're right - there is no such thing in the real world
> as data. Data is our model of the real world, or at least part of that
> model. "Data modeling" is thus a misnomer, though I can't think of a
better
> gerund than "modeling". "Data creation" might be confused with the actual
> population of a database.

How about "data design"? Notice I didn't say "database design"... Received on Fri Jun 11 2004 - 12:39:01 CEST