On Sun, 11 Aug 2002, Don Baccus wrote: > Obviously it would require extending SQL, but since you in part argue > that SQL sucks in regard to the relational model this shouldn't matter, > right?
Well, if we're going to go so far as to get rid of SQL, we can go all the way with the D&D thing, and VIEWs will no longer be syntatic sugar because views and tables will be the same thing. (I'll leave you how specify physical storage as an exercise for the reader. :-)) But anyway, I have no particularly huge objection to syntatic sugar alone. I do have objections to it when it's not saving much typing. (It is in this case, but that could be fixed with better automatic support of view updates.) But my real objection is when it makes things more confusing, rather than less, which I think is definitely happening here. I've never seen a rigourous explanation of our model of table inheritance, nor any model that was more obviously correct than another. And the parallel drawn with inheritance in OO languages is a false parallel that adds to the confusion. (For example, the distinction between types and instances of types is critical in OO theory. What are the TI equivalants of this?) All this is borne out by the regular questions one sees about inheritance in the mailing lists. I'll admit a good part of it is due to the broken implementation of inheritance, but all of the problems I've ever seen are easily solved with very simple relational solutions. Maybe the inheritance thing is causing people to turn off the relational parts of their brain or something. > I give up. Your right hand waves your dick more frequently and with > much more vigor than mine. First you ask for more meaningful discussion. Then you make comments like this. Hello? If you really don't intend to stop completely with the insulting comments, let me know and I can killfile you and we'll be done with this. cjs -- Curt Sampson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> +81 90 7737 2974 http://www.netbsd.org Don't you know, in this new Dark Age, we're all light. --XTC ---------------------------(end of broadcast)--------------------------- TIP 1: subscribe and unsubscribe commands go to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
