Existential quantification - sql, PL-SQL Programming

Assignment Help:

Existential Quantification - SQL

Existential quantification-stating that something is true of at least one object under consideration-can be expressed by OR(r,c), meaning that at least one object that satisfies a predicate for r also satisfies c, and IS_NOT_EMPTY(r). The names for the aggregate operators AND and OR reflect the facts that when we confine our attention to finite sets, universal and existential quantification are equivalent to repeated invocations of dyadic AND and dyadic OR, respectively. Note that AND(r,c) is equivalent to COUNT(r) = COUNT(r WHERE c), and OR(r,c) is equivalent to COUNT(r WHERE c) > 0 and also to IS_NOT_EMPTY(r WHERE c).

Quantification also appears in various guises in SQL, but its meaning is muddied by those same two violations of relational theory that we have already seen muddying the waters: duplicate rows and NULL. For example, SQL's (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM r), a so-called scalar subquery (because it is an expression denoting a table with one row and one column, enclosed in parentheses), denotes the number of rows in the table r, but can we really say that this represents the number of objects that satisfy a predicate for r, if the same row can be counted more than once, or if NULL appears in place of a column value in some row of r? In fact, what might it mean to say that a row does or does not satisfy a predicate? In 2VL we say that object a satisfies predicate P(x) exactly when P(a) is true. Does this still hold in 3VL, or might SQL deem a to satisfy P(x) also when P(a) is unknown? Well, it turns out that SQL uses both interpretations, depending on the context, as we shall discover.

 


Related Discussions:- Existential quantification - sql

I want database development with analysis tools, Project Description: I ...

Project Description: I want a database for large governmental and private data sets on one country that will be easily extended to other countries in the future. Also, the datab

Data types and representations, Data Types and Representations This ex...

Data Types and Representations This explains the concept possible representation, abbreviated possrep, and explains how these can be used in conjunction with constraints to de

Controlling autonomous transactions, Controlling Autonomous Transactions ...

Controlling Autonomous Transactions The first SQL statement in an autonomous routine starts a transaction. Whenever one transaction ends, the next SQL statement starts the oth

Using operator ref - manipulating objects pl sql, Using Operator REF: ...

Using Operator REF: You can retrieve refs by using the operator REF that, like VALUE, takes as its argument a correlation variable. In the illustration below, you retrieve one

How exceptions propagate in pl/sql programming?, How Exceptions Propagate ?...

How Exceptions Propagate ? Whenever an exception is raised, and if the PL/SQL cannot find a handler for it in the present subprogram or block, the exception propagates. That is

Insert statement - syntax, INSERT Statement The INSERT statement adds f...

INSERT Statement The INSERT statement adds fresh rows of data to the specified database table or view. Syntax:

Manipulating collections-nested table examples, Manipulating Collections ...

Manipulating Collections Within PL/SQL, the collections add procedural power and flexibility. The biggest benefit is that your program can compute subscripts to process the spec

Implicit cursor attributes, Implicit Cursor Attributes The Implicit cur...

Implicit Cursor Attributes The Implicit cursor attributes returns the information about the execution of an INSERT, DELETE, UPDATE, or SELECT INTO statement. The cursor attribu

Effect of anonymous columns, Effect of Anonymous Columns Now, recall t...

Effect of Anonymous Columns Now, recall that a VALUES expression denotes a table with undefined column names. If an initial value is to be specified when a base table is creat

Exceptions - syntax, Exceptions An exception is the runtime error or wa...

Exceptions An exception is the runtime error or warning condition that can be predefined or user-defined. The Predefined exceptions are raised implicitly through runtime system

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd