The Database Relational Model: A Retrospective Review and Analysis [Paperback]

C. J. Date (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0201612941 | ISBN-13: 978-0201612943 | Publication Date: May 15, 2000 | Edition: 1

The Database Relational Model: A Retrospective Review and Analysis is a retrospective of E.F. Codd's original ideas in which C.J. Date revisits the original papers, highlights their critical contributions to the basis of relational database management systems, and discusses the current day applications of these ideas. Codd's relational model, first presented to the world in a series of research papers from 1969 to 1979, was at the time revolutionary. More than 30 years later, however, it seems that the database community in general has come to regard the relational model as somewhat passe and no longer relevant, even though the entire database industry is founded on that model. Two factors that might explain this are that several of Codd's original papers have since become hard to find, and some of his writings were somewhat difficult to read and understand. This book aims to clearly evaluate Codd's original ideas and relate them to today's database society.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

C.J. Date is an author, lecturer, researcher, and independent consultant specializing in relational database systems. An active member of the database community for almost 30 years, C. J. Date devotes the major part of his career to exploring, expanding, and expounding the theory and practice of relational technology. He enjoys a reputation second to none for his ability to explain complex technical material in a clear and understandable fashion.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Addison Wesley; 1 edition (May 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201612941
• ISBN-13: 978-0201612943
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,143,193 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars From the horse's mouth, March 12, 2001

By 

David Boreham - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Database Relational Model: A Retrospective Review and Analysis (Paperback)

I found this book fascinating because it helped to explain some things which happened before I entered the scene. I've always wondered where the relational priesthood phenomenon originated. As a developer of various non-relational data stores I kept asking myself "ok, the relational approach is interesting and has merit, but why are these folks acting like it came on stone tablets from god almightly ?". This book helped to shed light on the (now) forgotten history behind the adoption of the relational technology through the late 70's and early 80's.

The only thing the book could have done better would be to have included reprints of Codd's papers. They are extensively referenced and discussed, but I had trouble finding them on the 'net. Of course I'm sure that the printed versions are easily available from any university library, and presumably there are copyright issues, but still it would be nice to have the source material and the commentary together in one volume.

This is _not_ a book which will educate a beginner in relational technology---it's most useful for folk who already know the subject but want to understand more about the history and chronology behind the movement. It's also quite a good primer on technical politics :)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty darned cool, September 28, 2003

By 

William G. Ryan "Uber Book Nerd" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Database Relational Model: A Retrospective Review and Analysis (Paperback)

This isn't my favorite Date book by any means, but it does go into the finer details or Codd's work and it does so at a level that really does Codd's work justice.

If you aren't really into Codd's work, and you are trying to find an intro to DB Theory, this definitely isn't for you. However, if you are looking for a great theoretical analysis of one of the greatest mind's in Computer Science, this is a great book.

15 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't Live Up To Subtitle, July 14, 2002

By 

jlusa (Glastonbury, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Database Relational Model: A Retrospective Review and Analysis (Paperback)

This book is a thinly veiled critique, rather than review, of Codd's seminal works. In place of direct quotes from Codd, we are left with Date's paraphrasing. Of the 61 bibliographic references given, 27 are to Date's own work and 2 are to pieces that he published jointly.

The book wastes a good amount of text on introspective commentary of the form: now I'm going to discuss... so I have discussed... as I previously discussed. This style might be understandable in the magazine articles from which the text was derived, as a means of maintaining continuity between issues. It is glaringly unnecessary in a short book of 139 pages. I expected a more comprehensive effort at re-editing those articles when published in book form.

There are several places where Date explicitly states the places where he has omitted related details. He also mentions great examples from Codd without including them. I would rather that he omitted the introspective commentary and instead supplied those details and Codd's examples.

That said, an analytical reader should be able to deconstruct a reasonable `retrospective review and analysis' of Codd's inventions from this book, but should know at the start that the author's seemingly self-promotion coupled with a unnecessarily introspective style might slow that effort.