Re: Database schema for univesal usage

David Cressey wrote:

>

>> The ALTER TABLE takes a moment, sure, especially if you are working
>> alone, don't have any programs making use of the column, and have no
>> users who tend to dislike bringing the system down for changes.
>>
>> And if you don't have to write down why you did it, or justify it to
>> anybody, it's much easier than if you do.  Who needs documentation, we
>> can all remember, right?

> Create scripts for Rdb/VMS define columns in terms of domains. The
> product
> has been doing this since 1986, when the SQL term "DOMAIN" replaced the
> older RDO term "global field". Domains, in turn, can be defined in terms
> of Rdb primitives, or referred back to an external data dictionary. (We
> all keep a data dicionary up to date, don't we?)

This is the part of this that confuses me. In this Dec system, is the data dictionary functional, meaning that the computer is making us of it, or is it documentational, like a word processing document?

<rest of post in another reply>

-- 
Kenneth Downs
Secure Data Software, Inc.
(Ken)nneth_at_(Sec)ure(Dat)a(.com)