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Nested relations and recursive queries

  • Part III Database Modeling
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Nested Relations and Complex Objects in Databases (NF2 1987)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 361))

Abstract

Recently, several researchers realized that the modelling capabilities of traditional relational data base systems are rather limited for advanced applications. Among others, two main research areas can be identified: One area of research is concerned with removing the limitation of flat tuples by supporting structured objects instead. Another area of research deals with the limitation of traditional query languages. Already in the late seventies it was proven that so called relationally complete query languages do not allow to express the computation of the transitive closure of a relation. Most researchers solve the problem by introducing some kind of recursion. The work presented in this paper is an attempt to combine both areas of research. It proposes the integration of recursive queries and nested relations by providing a recursion mechanism which can be nested according to the structure of a non first normal form relation. It is shown by examples that this method can be used to formulate queries which are rather cumbersome if only flat relations are used. Especially, in some cases the problem of performing a selection on a recursively defined relation disappears. This question has been the topic of several research papers recently. Moreover, many queries can be formulated in a more natural way than in the world of flat tuples. Therefore, nested recursive queries in combination with non first normal form relations provide a contribution to the problem of modelling complex data.

VNET: LINNEMAN at GYSVMHD1

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IBM Scientific Center Heidelberg, Tiergartenstrasse 15, D-6900, Heidelberg, West Germany

    Volker Linnemann

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  1. Volker Linnemann
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S. Abiteboul P. C. Fischer H. -J. Schek

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© 1989 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Linnemann, V. (1989). Nested relations and recursive queries. In: Abiteboul, S., Fischer, P.C., Schek, H.J. (eds) Nested Relations and Complex Objects in Databases. NF2 1987. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 361. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-51171-7_28

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-51171-7_28

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-51171-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-46175-3

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