Definitions Needed

     I am reading through dbdebunk.com. In one article (On system Tables <http://www.dbdebunk.com/page/page/622812.htm>), there are a couple of terms that I can not find definitions for: AST and VSS. Here is the context with the terms marked with asterisks:

"*****ASTs***** are mostly hidden from the users (although you can query them directly) and are a showcase for the power of optimization and declarative data access, so I say they are good. Also they have the potential to remove the data warehouse/data mart split that is good and also lessen the advantages of dimensional DBMS systems, which, you’ll agree are much further from the RM than SQL. It’s a shame that generated columns aren’t as transparent as *****ASTs*****, but then you could always restrict access via views to remove the data redundancy from the users perspective (and also stop them from trying to update generated columns), and at there are much better than getting ‘the application’ (now there’s a misnomer) to maintain such redundant data.

SQL stored procedures provide computational completeness in the database. A *****VSS***** if not a prescription?"

     I used to use Webopedia -- and tried it again just now -- but my latest searches have all come up dry. If you know the URL of a good technical definitions site, please share it.

     On TLAs, we have too many overlapping. "VSS" can be Visual SourceSafe or a voltage (source or sink, which one I can not remember).

Sincerely,

Gene Wirchenko

Computerese Irregular Verb Conjugation:

     I have preferences.
     You have biases.
     He/She has prejudices.