Why in an IT shop - do us DBA's only seem to understand this? As I see it most programmers don't understanding data models at all! It makes it easier for them to ignore the DBA's as being theoretical, academic....
-----Original Message----- Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2003 1:30 PM To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L Hear, hear! pb --- Michael Milligan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > As Date is want to say, "Theory is practical!" (Chapter One, > Relational > Database Writings 1991-1994). > > IMHO, a lack of understanding of relational database theory leads > directly > to database designs so flawed that they can't possibly allow their > application to accomplish their goals. If you don't think in terms of > functional dependencies, if you don't know the trade-offs in using > nulls, if > you don't why you want to put some attributes in one entity and > others in > others, you'll be in trouble. Some people call all of this "theory". > I see > it as the "fundamental principles" that you'll be dead in the water > without. > > > If you don't know what the "relational" in RDBMS means (nothing to do > with > foreign keys), you'll make a bunch of mistakes over and over, knowing > something is wrong but not able to put your finger on what's wrong. > Then > you'll limp along with an unfixable application, held together with > prayers, > and not able to deliver performance or even the right data. > > I've been doing this for 17 years and I've seen it happen more times > than I > like to remember. My suggestion, my strong suggestion, is to learn > the > theory to such an extent that you'll know why a model is good or why > it's > flawed. If you don't know what a good model is, how can you possibly > create > one? > > Data modeling is hard work. There is no shortcut for it. There is > also no > shortcut for learning it. But you can learn from people who > understand it > well and can express it well, also. In my opinion, those names > include C.J. > Date, Hugh Darwen, Fabian Pascal, and a number of others. > > HTH > > Michael Milligan > Oracle DBA > Ingenix, Inc. > 2525 Lake Park Blvd. > Salt Lake City, Utah 84120 > wrk 801-982-3081 > mbl 801-628-6058 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > -----Original Message----- > Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2003 2:35 PM > To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L > > > Agreed. And I think you'll admit it's better to be familiar with and > aware > of the theory, even if current db products don't live up to the model > 100%, > so you know to bring up the kinds of issues you mention in the first > place. > In that sense, I think the knowledge to be gained from Date, Darwen, > Pascal, > etc., can be very practical. > > > This e-mail, including attachments, may include confidential and/or > proprietary information, and may be used only by the person or entity > to > which it is addressed. If the reader of this e-mail is not the > intended > recipient or his or her authorized agent, the reader is hereby > notified that > any dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is > prohibited. If > you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender by > replying > to this message and delete this e-mail immediately. > -- > Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.net > -- > Author: Michael Milligan > INET: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Fat City Network Services -- 858-538-5051 http://www.fatcity.com > San Diego, California -- Mailing list and web hosting services > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message > to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in > the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB ORACLE-L > (or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from). You may > also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing). __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? 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