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.
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.
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.
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.
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
The study of relationship databases is a core component of virtually every undergraduate computer science degree course. This new edition of Theory and Practice of Relationship Databases retains all the features that made the previous edition such as success, and goes on to give even more comprehensive and informative coverage. Written in a tutorial style and containing a great many examples and exercises as well as extensively using illustrative and explanatory graphics, the author has produced an undergraduate textbook of great depth and clarity that is very easy to follow. The subject of relational databases is brought to life by the writing style and the inclusion of an homogenous case study that reinforces the issues dealt with in each chapter. The primary objective of the book is to present a comprehensive explanation of the process of development of database application systems within the framework of a set processing paradigm. Since the majority of these applications are built as relationship systems, a complete though reasonably concise account of that model is presented. Dr. Stanczyk has achieved this by concentrating on the issues that contribute significantly to the application development while de-emphasizing purely theoretical aspects of the subject. This has led to an imaginative and highly practical textbook that will be an excellent read for the undergraduate computer science student.
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.
Contents Should we tell you the whole story? Of course, there is an inevitable tension in trying to work like this. For example, in Chapter 16 we talk about referential integrity. There are - sentially six different flavors of referential integrity but Access only s- ports four of them (they are the most important ones however, so you aren’t missing out on too much). The problem is this. Should we tell you about the other two? If we do, as an Access user you have every right to be annoyed that we are telling you about a feature you can’t use. On the other hand, the six different types that we describe are part of the re- tional world and this book is about that world – we are not trying to teach you how to use Access, we are simply using Access to illustrate the relational model. Ultimately we decided to risk your ire and to describe all of the features of the relational model as we see it, even if Access doesn’t support all of them. One advantage of this approach is that if you need to use a different database engine you will almost certainly find the extra information useful. Incidentally, this is not meant to imply that Access is somehow lacking as a relational database engine. The reason we chose it for the first book is that it is such a good example of a relational database tool.
SQL in a Nutshell applies the eminently useful "Nutshell" format to Structured Query Language (SQL), the elegant--but complex--descriptive language that is used to create and manipulate large stores of data. For SQL programmers, analysts, and database administrators, the new second edition of SQL in a Nutshell is the essential date language reference for the world's top SQL database products. SQL in a Nutshell is a lean, focused, and thoroughly comprehensive reference for those who live in a deadline-driven world.This invaluable desktop quick reference drills down and documents every SQL command and how to use it in both commercial (Oracle, DB2, and Microsoft SQL Server) and open source implementations (PostgreSQL, and MySQL). It describes every command and reference and includes the command syntax (by vendor, if the syntax differs across implementations), a clear description, and practical examples that illustrate important concepts and uses. And it also explains how the leading commercial and open sources database product implement SQL. This wealth of information is packed into a succinct, comprehensive, and extraordinarily easy-to-use format that covers the SQL syntax of no less than 4 different databases.When you need fast, accurate, detailed, and up-to-date SQL information, SQL in a Nutshell, Second Edition will be the quick reference you'll reach for every time. SQL in a Nutshell is small enough to keep by your keyboard, and concise (as well as clearly organized) enough that you can look up the syntax you need quickly without having to wade through a lot of useless fluff. You won't want to work on a project involving SQL without it.
