E.F. Codd and Relational Theory, new book by CJD
A new book by Chris Date has just appeared, here. It 's a detailed critique of Codd's database papers. Attached are a couple of PDFs, one showing the cover, the other giving a description and contents.
Hugh
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Quote from Hugh on August 26, 2019, 2:41 pmA new book by Chris Date has just appeared, here. It 's a detailed critique of Codd's database papers.
Thank you Hugh, presumably this is expanded from Date's critique of Codd's early two papers that was circulated here/is still on the TTM website.
From the blurb
"To repeat, Codd’s writings are the foundation texts on which the entire relational database
field is based. Yet very few people have actually read those texts, or even have much awareness
of what they contain. "
Hmm? to both sentences: a cynic might say the entire relational database field is based on a proof-of-concept thrown together by some IBM engineers who (probably) didn't look at Codd's writings, and certainly didn't understand them.
"what they contain" is presented reasonably accurately in academic texts -- I'm thinking of the Alice book, aside from D&D texts. Learners are far more worried about how to design their schemas and how to solve artificial questions about levels of normalisation.
Quote from Hugh on August 26, 2019, 2:41 pmA new book by Chris Date has just appeared, here. It 's a detailed critique of Codd's database papers. Attached are a couple of PDFs, one showing the cover, the other giving a description and contents.
Hugh
Chris tells me the link I gave is to a page that is supposed to be his private one! I have changed it to the link he gave me (whose url contains a search pattern), but it transpires that when you click on the title (as I did), you get taken to that private page. I did not notice it was a different page.
I have alerted Chris to the problem and advised him to get in touch with the publisher, Lulu, promptly.
Hugh
Quote from AntC on August 26, 2019, 10:57 pmQuote from Hugh on August 26, 2019, 2:41 pmA new book by Chris Date has just appeared, here. It 's a detailed critique of Codd's database papers.
Hmm? to both sentences: a cynic might say the entire relational database field is based on a proof-of-concept thrown together by some IBM engineers who (probably) didn't look at Codd's writings, and certainly didn't understand them.
What cynics might say might not really be all that important/relevant. I say that in full awareness of the relational history [and relational frustration] each individual on this forum might have behind him (/her) and which might be the very reason why cynics typically get practiced [even] on this forum on a more-than-once-per-thread basis here.
Quote from Hugh on August 27, 2019, 11:21 amQuote from Hugh on August 26, 2019, 2:41 pmA new book by Chris Date has just appeared, here. It 's a detailed critique of Codd's database papers. Attached are a couple of PDFs, one showing the cover, the other giving a description and contents.
Hugh
Chris tells me the link I gave is to a page that is supposed to be his private one! I have changed it to the link he gave me (whose url contains a search pattern), but it transpires that when you click on the title (as I did), you get taken to that private page. I did not notice it was a different page.
I have alerted Chris to the problem and advised him to get in touch with the publisher, Lulu, promptly.
Hugh
I remember following the link this very day and it took me to screens that had a shopping cart on it. Somehow I can't believe Chris' "personal page" has my shopping cart on it ...