The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Serious Database Management - For the bookshelf Major Keary |
The relational database model was invented by Edgar Codd in 1970; more recently the object-relational model has been developed and taken up by Oracle, DB2, and Informix. In turn, SQL has been expanded to take advantage of the new model.
Database Principles, Programming, and Performance is a text book for those who want to study the theory and application of database principles. In a foreword Jim Gray of Microsoft Research says it, ".... makes an excellent text for anyone just approaching database systems. It is an accessible refresher for those of us who have not been paying careful attention to development in this area and is a useful reference for designers and implementers who need just-in-time education". The book is both a "tutorial and reference for the professional" and a text for tertiary database courses. The approach is one of combining theoretical discussion with practical information: theory and practice are brought together, with real-world examples.
As well as the detailed theoretical discussions it addresses practical issues such as problems associated with disk storage, with illustrative parables that would enhance any presentation.
If you want a serious text about real database management systems, this is highly recommended.
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Patrick O'Neil and Elizabeth O'Neil: Database Principles, Programming, and Performance 2/e ISBN 1-55860-438-3 Published by Morgan Kaufmann, h.c., 870 pp., RRP $189.75 incl. GST. |
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Reprinted from the October 2003 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
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