| OverviewThis 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. Editorial Reviews| 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. |
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Reader Reviews From Amazon (Ranked by 'Helpfulness') | Average Customer Rating: |  | based on 18 reviews. |
| Grumpy theory, 2007-07-02 | | Reviewer rating: |  |
| | Contains only theory, with little real-word usefulness, despite what the author claims. Comes across as if it's written by a grumpy old man, constantly complaining about how SQL gets everything wrong. |
| | A clear and concise introduction to the theory behind relational databases, 2007-05-22 | | Reviewer rating: |  |
| | This book is very well written. In spite of the fact that I had very little (near to none) knowledge of database systems when I bought this book, I had no trouble understanding it. It is clear, concise, and covers many important topics in relational database theory. The author uses plain English, so you don't need a degree in math in order to understand the book. |
| | Not my cup of tea, 2007-03-28 | | Reviewer rating: |  |
| Author concentrates too much on minute details which are in many ways irrelevant/implicit to many readers I feel. At times after reading a whole lot of pages, I feel like I have learnt very few newer things...same things are repeated often. Too much focus on the relational
jargon, rather the author says to strictly follow the terminology. Like the way, natural languages have many dialects, in the same fashion many readers will learn in different ways though conceptually they are on the same track. As far as I am concerned, it does not really matter what jargon is used as far as the knowledge can be put in practice correctly. |
| | An excellent introduction to the relational model by one of the best thinkers in the field., 2007-02-22 | | Reviewer rating: | |
| When I was early in my Computer Science degree I took a course in which we discussed database fundamentals. In that class we learned about things like tuples, relations, predicates, predicate logic and deductive proofs. All of these were involved with the relational model, but it wasn't until later when I discovered the writings of Fabian Pascal and C. J. Date that I began to really understand how the above concepts tied into the database systems I was using, such as Oracle, MySQL, and Postgresql. One of those aha moments came when I realized that the deductive proofs we had done in that class were essentially queries to a database system. I came to see how each row (tuple) in a database table (relation) represented a set of values for a predicate that the relation represented. Overall, a database, then, was the logical AND of all the facts represented by the tuples of each relation. Queries were simply deductive proofs which allowed one to derive new facts from existing facts in the database. Good stuff all around.
If you're lucky, you will have studied Date's venerable Introduction to database systems while taking a college course in databases. If not, then you're still lucky, becuase Date has condensed the fundamentals of the relational model into a very approachable and very practical book published by O'Reilly, Database In Depth
Database In Depth takes you through a tour of the key concepts of the relational model, starting with the very basics (types, tuples, relations and so forth), and takes you step-by-step into more formiddable territory (stuff like normalization, join dependencies, integrity constraints, relational algebra, and the like). Throughout the book, Date explains each concept in his characteristic clarity. Date knows this stuff through and through, and it shows.
You may be tempted to think like many others that theory and fundamentals are fine and dandy, but how practical are they in the real world? In my experience, they're crucial. By understanding the fundamentals and the theory behind the databases you work with, you can avoid costly design flaws that lead to poor data integrity. By understanding these concepts, you can design databases that you can trust absolutely to store and deliver accurate results. I've had to work with databases that weren't designed with these concepts in mind, and the difference is stark.
One warning, you wont be spoon-fed here. The material can be challenging, and Date expects you to use your brain. This isn't SQL For Dummies. The real advantage you will gain by reading a book like this is that you will understand the mathematical and logical reasoning behind practical design principles such as why, for example, it's important to normalize (and the pitfalls you can run into when you de-normalize), why nulls can potentially lead to bad logic, and why duplicate rows are a bad idea all around. You'll be able to understand the ways in which most of today's database systems fail to faithfully implement the relational model, and the consequences of those failures (and consequently how to design your databases well despite these shortcomings).
Unlike many computer books that become obsolete within a year or two of their publication, Database in Depth is among that narrow collection of computer books that remain useful and relevant for years. This is precisely because it remains grounded in theory and fundamentals, instead of being tied to specific brands and versions of software.
The bottom line here is if you do much of anything with databases, then just about anything you read by C. J. Date will be worth your while. Database In Depth is no exception. |
| | Not for the uninitiated, 2007-02-02 | | Reviewer rating: | |
| The contribution Chris Date (after Ted Codd) has made (with others such as Hugh Darwen) to the development, evolution, and expansion of the Relational Model (RM) is well documented, and correctly so.
Contrary to what some other readers might prefer, I do want to hear want he has to say about the current state of (Database Management System) industry affairs -- I don't believe there's anyone better qualified today to expound on what does or may, and on what does not or may not, constitute the RM. But it's important that you have some experience in the industry; Date does state that this book is for 'professionals' in the field.
Date's ideas on NULLs, Relation Valued Attributes (specifically on how they do not violate first normal form), Boyce-Codd normal form, 5th & 6th normal form, Relational Algebra, Relational Calculus, predicate logic, propositions, etc., are well worth the hearing. It's also instructive why he has so many misgivings about SQL (and here is an individual who, in conjunction with Darwen, has produced a respected reference on the SQL standard), though pre-1992 SQL is a different animal from post-1992 SQL.
In my humble opinion, if even half the originators of some modern day computing 'technologies' were even half as rigorous as Date in subjecting their own ideas to searching logical examinations, we wouldn't have had near as many development cycle overruns, cost breaches, project collapses, etc. And well written too. |
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Some information above was provided using data from Amazon.com. View at Amazon > |
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