Database Design and Relational Theory


Book Description

Because databases often stay in production for decades, careful design is critical to making the database serve the needs of your users over years, and to avoid subtle errors or performance problems. In this book, C.J. Date, a leading exponent of relational databases, lays out the principles of good database design.




Database Design and Relational Theory


Book Description

What makes this book different from others on database design? Many resources on design practice do little to explain the underlying theory, and books on design theory are aimed primarily at theoreticians. In this book, renowned expert Chris Date bridges the gap by introducing design theory in ways practitioners can understand—drawing on lessons learned over four decades of experience to demonstrate why proper database design is so critical in the first place. Every chapter includes a set of exercises that show how to apply the theoretical ideas in practice, provide additional information, or ask you to prove some simple theoretical result. If you’re a database professional familiar with the relational model, and have more than a passing interest in database design, this book is for you. Questions this book answers include: Why is Heath’s Theorem so important? What is The Principle of Orthogonal Design? What makes some JDs reducible and others irreducible? Why does dependency preservation matter? Should data redundancy always be avoided? Can it be? Databases often stay in production for decades, and careful design is critical for avoiding subtle errors and processing problems over time. If they’re badly designed, the negative impacts can be incredibly widespread. This gentle introduction shows you how to use important theoretical results to create good database designs.




SQL and Relational Theory


Book Description

SQL is full of difficulties and traps for the unwary. You can avoid them if you understand relational theory, but only if you know how to put the theory into practice. In this insightful book, author C.J. Date explains relational theory in depth, and demonstrates through numerous examples and exercises how you can apply it directly to your use of SQL. This second edition includes new material on recursive queries, “missing information” without nulls, new update operators, and topics such as aggregate operators, grouping and ungrouping, and view updating. If you have a modest-to-advanced background in SQL, you’ll learn how to deal with a host of common SQL dilemmas. Why is proper column naming so important? Nulls in your database are causing you to get wrong answers. Why? What can you do about it? Is it possible to write an SQL query to find employees who have never been in the same department for more than six months at a time? SQL supports “quantified comparisons,” but they’re better avoided. Why? How do you avoid them? Constraints are crucially important, but most SQL products don’t support them properly. What can you do to resolve this situation? Database theory and practice have evolved since the relational model was developed more than 40 years ago. SQL and Relational Theory draws on decades of research to present the most up-to-date treatment of SQL available. C.J. Date has a stature that is unique within the database industry. A prolific writer well known for the bestselling textbook An Introduction to Database Systems (Addison-Wesley), he has an exceptionally clear style when writing about complex principles and theory.




Database in Depth


Book Description

This book sheds light on the principles behind the relational model, which is fundamental to all database-backed applications--and, consequently, most of the work that goes on in the computing world today. Database in Depth: The Relational Model for Practitioners goes beyond the hype and gets to the heart of how relational databases actually work.Ideal for experienced database developers and designers, this concise guide gives you a clear view of the technology--a view that's not influenced by any vendor or product. Featuring an extensive set of exercises, it will help you: understand why and how the relational model is still directly relevant to modern database technology (and will remain so for the foreseeable future) see why and how the SQL standard is seriously deficient use the best current theoretical knowledge in the design of their databases and database applications make informed decisions in their daily database professional activities Database in Depth will appeal not only to database developers and designers, but also to a diverse field of professionals and academics, including database administrators (DBAs), information modelers, database consultants, and more. Virtually everyone who deals with relational databases should have at least a passing understanding of the fundamentals of working with relational models.Author C.J. Date has been involved with the relational model from its earliest days. An exceptionally clear-thinking writer, Date lays out principle and theory in a manner that is easily understood. Few others can speak as authoritatively the topic of relational databases as Date can.




Relational Database Theory


Book Description

Written by internationally recognized authorities in the database field, this book delivers a thorough discussion of the foundations of the relational model of database design, along with a systematic treatment of the formal theory for the model. In addition, the authors provide a survey of the performance of the model and include an encyclopedic reference to the available literature.




Relational Database Design and Implementation


Book Description

Relational Database Design and Implementation: Clearly Explained, Fourth Edition, provides the conceptual and practical information necessary to develop a database design and management scheme that ensures data accuracy and user satisfaction while optimizing performance. Database systems underlie the large majority of business information systems. Most of those in use today are based on the relational data model, a way of representing data and data relationships using only two-dimensional tables. This book covers relational database theory as well as providing a solid introduction to SQL, the international standard for the relational database data manipulation language. The book begins by reviewing basic concepts of databases and database design, then turns to creating, populating, and retrieving data using SQL. Topics such as the relational data model, normalization, data entities, and Codd's Rules (and why they are important) are covered clearly and concisely. In addition, the book looks at the impact of big data on relational databases and the option of using NoSQL databases for that purpose. - Features updated and expanded coverage of SQL and new material on big data, cloud computing, and object-relational databases - Presents design approaches that ensure data accuracy and consistency and help boost performance - Includes three case studies, each illustrating a different database design challenge - Reviews the basic concepts of databases and database design, then turns to creating, populating, and retrieving data using SQL







Time and Relational Theory


Book Description

Time and Relational Theory provides an in-depth description of temporal database systems, which provide special facilities for storing, querying, and updating historical and future data. Traditionally, database management systems provide little or no special support for temporal data at all. This situation is changing because: - Cheap storage enables retention of large volumes of historical data in data warehouses - Users are now faced with temporal data problems, and need solutions - Temporal features have recently been incorporated into the SQL standard, and vendors have begun to add temporal support to their DBMS products Based on the groundbreaking text Temporal Data & the Relational Model (Morgan Kaufmann, 2002) and new research led by the authors, Time and Relational Theory is the only book to offer a complete overview of the functionality of a temporal DBMS. Expert authors Nikos Lorentzos, Hugh Darwen, and Chris Date describe an approach to temporal database management that is firmly rooted in classical relational theory and will stand the test of time. This book covers the SQL:2011 temporal extensions in depth and identifies and discusses the temporal functionality still missing from SQL. - Understand how the relational model provides an ideal basis for taming the complexities of temporal databases - Learn how to analyze and evaluate commercial temporal products with this timely and important information - Be able to use sound principles in designing and using temporal databases - Understand the temporal support recently added to SQL with coverage of the new SQL features in this unique, accurate, and authoritative reference - Appreciate the benefits of a truly relational approach to the problem with this clear, user friendly presentation




The Theory of Relational Databases


Book Description

This remarkably comprehensive new book assembles concepts and results in relational databases theory previously scattered through journals, books, conference proceedings, and technical memoranda in one convenient source, and introduces pertinent new material not found elsewhere. The book is intended for a second course in databases, but is an excellent reference for researchers in the field. The material covered includes relational algebra, functional dependencies, multivalued and join dependencies, normal forms, tableaux and the chase computation, representation theory, domain and tuple relational calculus, query modification, database semantics and null values, acyclic database schemes, template dependencies, and computed relations. The final chapter is a brief survey of query languages in existing relational systems. Each chapter contains numerous examples and exercises, along with bibliographic remarks. - Back cover.




Database Design for Mere Mortals


Book Description

"This book takes the somewhat daunting process of database design and breaks it into completely manageable and understandable components. Mike's approach whilst simple is completely professional, and I can recommend this book to any novice database designer." --Sandra Barker, Lecturer, University of South Australia, Australia "Databases are a critical infrastructure technology for information systems and today's business. Mike Hernandez has written a literate explanation of database technology--a topic that is intricate and often obscure. If you design databases yourself, this book will educate you about pitfalls and show you what to do. If you purchase products that use a database, the book explains the technology so that you can understand what the vendor is doing and assess their products better." --Michael Blaha, consultant and trainer, author of A Manager's Guide to Database Technology "If you told me that Mike Hernandez could improve on the first edition of Database Design for Mere Mortals I wouldn't have believed you, but he did! The second edition is packed with more real-world examples, detailed explanations, and even includes database-design tools on the CD-ROM! This is a must-read for anyone who is even remotely interested in relational database design, from the individual who is called upon occasionally to create a useful tool at work, to the seasoned professional who wants to brush up on the fundamentals. Simply put, if you want to do it right, read this book!" --Matt Greer, Process Control Development, The Dow Chemical Company "Mike's approach to database design is totally common-sense based, yet he's adhered to all the rules of good relational database design. I use Mike's books in my starter database-design class, and I recommend his books to anyone who's interested in learning how to design databases or how to write SQL queries." --Michelle Poolet, President, MVDS, Inc. "Slapping together sophisticated applications with poorly designed data will hurt you just as much now as when Mike wrote his first edition, perhaps even more. Whether you're just getting started developing with data or are a seasoned pro; whether you've read Mike's previous book or this is your first; whether you're happier letting someone else design your data or you love doing it yourself--this is the book for you. Mike's ability to explain these concepts in a way that's not only clear, but fun, continues to amaze me." --From the Foreword by Ken Getz, MCW Technologies, coauthor ASP.NET Developer's JumpStart "The first edition of Mike Hernandez's book Database Design for Mere Mortals was one of the few books that survived the cut when I moved my office to smaller quarters. The second edition expands and improves on the original in so many ways. It is not only a good, clear read, but contains a remarkable quantity of clear, concise thinking on a very complex subject. It's a must for anyone interested in the subject of database design." --Malcolm C. Rubel, Performance Dynamics Associates "Mike's excellent guide to relational database design deserves a second edition. His book is an essential tool for fledgling Microsoft Access and other desktop database developers, as well as for client/server pros. I recommend it highly to all my readers." --Roger Jennings, author of Special Edition Using Access 2002 "There are no silver bullets! Database technology has advanced dramatically, the newest crop of database servers perform operations faster than anyone could have imagined six years ago, but none of these technological advances will help fix a bad database design, or capture data that you forgot to include! Database Design for Mere Mortals(TM), Second Edition, helps you design your database right in the first place!" --Matt Nunn, Product Manager, SQL Server, Microsoft Corporation "When my brother started his professional career as a developer, I gave him Mike's book to help him understand database concepts and make real-world application of database technology. When I need a refresher on the finer points of database design, this is the book I pick up. I do not think that there is a better testimony to the value of a book than that it gets used. For this reason I have wholeheartedly recommended to my peers and students that they utilize this book in their day-to-day development tasks." --Chris Kunicki, Senior Consultant, OfficeZealot.com "Mike has always had an incredible knack for taking the most complex topics, breaking them down, and explaining them so that anyone can 'get it.' He has honed and polished his first very, very good edition and made it even better. If you're just starting out building database applications, this book is a must-read cover to cover. Expert designers will find Mike's approach fresh and enlightening and a source of great material for training others." --John Viescas, President, Viescas Consulting, Inc., author of Running Microsoft Access 2000 and coauthor of SQL Queries for Mere Mortals "Whether you need to learn about relational database design in general, design a relational database, understand relational database terminology, or learn best practices for implementing a relational database, Database Design for Mere Mortals(TM), Second Edition, is an indispensable book that you'll refer to often. With his many years of real-world experience designing relational databases, Michael shows you how to analyze and improve existing databases, implement keys, define table relationships and business rules, and create data views, resulting in data integrity, uniform access to data, and reduced data-entry errors." --Paul Cornell, Site Editor, MSDN Office Developer Center Sound database design can save hours of development time and ensure functionality and reliability. Database Design for Mere Mortals(TM), Second Edition, is a straightforward, platform-independent tutorial on the basic principles of relational database design. It provides a commonsense design methodology for developing databases that work. Database design expert Michael J. Hernandez has expanded his best-selling first edition, maintaining its hands-on approach and accessibility while updating its coverage and including even more examples and illustrations. This edition features a CD-ROM that includes diagrams of sample databases, as well as design guidelines, documentation forms, and examples of the database design process. This book will give you the knowledge and tools you need to create efficient and effective relational databases.