Re: Testing relational databases

JXStern wrote:
> I don't get it, why is the book title "Refactoring Databases" if it's
> mostly about testing?
>
> Anyway, the first line on the site page does not encourage high
> expectations:
>
> "Relational database management systems (RDBMSs) often persist
> mission-critical data ..."
>
> Database people do not use "persist" as a transitive verb.

That is very true.

Unfortunately, the majority of uses of RDBMs is to only persist mission-critical data. The vast majority of development done with dbms that I've come across (from all sizes of company - startups - medium - large multinational corps) have all done the same.

Lots of tables, several referential constraints, a fair few uniqueness constraints, and db links and a sprinkling of joins.

As for business logic that could be modeled using the RM, its tended to be either in the 'application' code base (C++, Java, etc) or as stored procedures.

So, whilst Scott may have made a better impression with the guys over in c.d.t he can certainly help the rest of the RDBM users.... and lets face it - there's more of them.

>
> J.
>
>
> On Sun, 09 Jul 2006 17:54:17 GMT, "Phlip" <phlipcpp_at_yahoo.com> wrote:
>

>> Cross-posters:
>>
>> Farbeit from me to fan the flames, but one Scott Ambler recently posted 
>> http://www.agiledata.org/essays/databaseTesting.html
>> which describes how to test relational databases.
>>
>> I don't think he'll be covering test-last ;-)