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

Advantages of subprograms, Advantages of Subprograms The Subprograms g...

Advantages of Subprograms The Subprograms give extensibility; that is, tailor the PL/SQL language to suit your requirements. For illustration, if you require a procedure which

Declaring exceptions - user-defined exceptions, Declaring Exceptions T...

Declaring Exceptions The Exceptions can be declared only in the declarative part of the PL/SQL subprogram, block, or package. By introducing its name, you can declare an excep

Execute your documentation in oracle, Using research notes and Oracle docum...

Using research notes and Oracle documentation plan and execute an upgrade of an installation of Oracle 10g to Oracle 11g release 1. To do this you must show in screen shots and wri

Example of shorthand for a row constraint - sql, Example of Shorthand for a...

Example of Shorthand for a row constraint Example: Shorthand for a row constraint ALTER TABLE EXAM_MARK ADD CONSTRAINT Mark_in_range CHECK (Mark BETWEEN 0 AND 100);

Keyword, what is the use of declare keyword

what is the use of declare keyword

Anatomy of a table, Anatomy of a Table: Figure shows the terminology u...

Anatomy of a Table: Figure shows the terminology used in SQL to refer to parts of the structure of a table. As you can see, SQL has no official terms for its counterpa

Oracle 9i features, Bitmap Join Indexes - This feature will increase th...

Bitmap Join Indexes - This feature will increase the performance and detains the size and format of your databases in data Character Semantics and Globalization -This featur

Closest approximation to relational union - sql, Closest Approximation to R...

Closest Approximation to Relational Union - SQL Actually, just as SQL has several varieties of JOIN, it also has several varieties of UNION, none of which is equivalent to th

Need for dynamic sql - pl sql , Need for Dynamic SQL: You need dynamic...

Need for Dynamic SQL: You need dynamic SQL in the situations as follows: 1) You would like to execute a SQL data definition statement (like CREATE), a data control statemen

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;

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