Indeterminacy in sql, PL-SQL Programming

Assignment Help:

Indeterminacy in SQL

Some SQL expressions are actually not function invocations at all in the mathematical sense, being indeterminate-invocations operating on identical input do not always yield the same value. The indeterminate expressions are among those that the standard defines as possibly non-deterministic, but- caveat lector-not all expressions defined as possibly non-deterministic are actually indeterminate from a mathematical viewpoint. For example, the key word USER denotes the userid (officially, the authorization identifier) of the session in which an expression containing that key word is evaluated. Such an expression is defined as possibly non-deterministic by virtue of the appearance of USER, even though invocations in different sessions, in which USER stands for different userids, are clearly different invocations.

For a more general example, a user-defined function can be explicitly declared as either DETERMINISTIC or NOT DETERMINISTIC. In the latter case the "function" is flagged such that all invocations of it are treated as possibly non-deterministic. Regardless of the appropriateness of the term non-deterministic, there is a good reason for categorizing references to the current user (or, for another example, the current time) along with genuine cases of indeterminacy. It concerns constraint declarations. We clearly want to outlaw a constraint condition whose result, when evaluated, depends on the properties of the session in which, or on the time at which, the evaluation takes place. Of course we must also outlaw genuinely indeterminate conditions-a database might satisfy such a condition but later fail to satisfy it even though the database has not been updated in the meantime! The question then arises as to how it is possible for indeterminacy to arise: surely a computer program always gives the same result when invoked with the same input?


Related Discussions:- Indeterminacy in sql

produce vertical output format- oracle, Create a Oracle procedure to produ...

Create a Oracle procedure to produce vertical output format when selecting rows from a database table.

Select query, Query: SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE1; Select 5 columns and ...

Query: SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE1; Select 5 columns and all rows from one table Query: SELECT C_ID, COMPANY, BUILDING, DEPARTMENT, BRANCH FROM CONTRACT;

Using cursor attributes - bulk bind performance improvement, Using Cursor A...

Using Cursor Attributes To process the SQL data manipulation statements, the SQL engine must opens an implicit cursor named SQL. This cursor's attributes (%FOUND, %NOTFOUND, %

Assignments in pl/sql, Assignments in pl/sql The Variables and constants...

Assignments in pl/sql The Variables and constants are initialized every time a block or subprogram is entered. By default, the variables are initialized to NULL. Therefore, unle

Primary key, PRIMARY KEY: PRIMARY KEY  indicates that the table is sub...

PRIMARY KEY: PRIMARY KEY  indicates that the table is subject to a key constraint, in this case declaring that no two rows in the table assigned to ENROLMENT can ever have the

Stored subprograms, Stored Subprograms Normally, tools (like Oracle Fo...

Stored Subprograms Normally, tools (like Oracle Forms) which incorporate the PL/SQL engine can store subprograms locally for later, strictly local execution. Though, to become

Heap sort algorithm in pl sql, I want to implement heap sort algorithm in p...

I want to implement heap sort algorithm in pl sql please share the source code for guidance

Forward declarations - subprograms, Forward Declarations The PL/SQL ne...

Forward Declarations The PL/SQL needs that you declare an identifier before using it. And hence, you should declare a subprogram before calling it. For illustration, the decla

Components of an object type in pl/sql, Components of an Object Type: A...

Components of an Object Type: An object type encapsulates the operations and data. Therefore, you can declare the methods and attributes in an object type specification, but no

Renaming columns - sql, Renaming Columns - SQL SQL has no direct count...

Renaming Columns - SQL SQL has no direct counterpart of RENAME. To derive the table on the right in Figure 4.4 from the table on the left, Tutorial D has IS_CALLED RENAME ( St

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