× The internal search function is temporarily non-functional. The current search engine is no longer viable and we are researching alternatives.
As a stop gap measure, we are using Google's custom search engine service.
If you know of an easy to use, open source, search engine ... please contact support@midrange.com.



From: Vernon Hamberg <vhamberg@attbi.com>

> OK, got ya. I'm just looking this up to learn a little more. Thanks for the
> eye-opener.
> This looks like physical layer implementation. What would have to happen
> for a database to be relational at this level? Is not the 400 relational at
> the user level?

there is also the aspect of simple hype. I sometimes hear the
AS/400 being described as object-oriented at the OS-level.

If you access the database with SQL I guess that you can say
that the DB is relational at the user level, except of course that
most users never see or use the SQL. What is a user?
The data-entry clerk?, the programmer?, the system programmer?

My answer would be that IBM has built a relational front-end
to an ISAM database. Other implementations that I know of
may be closer to a relational database at the low level, e.g.
one where each attribute (column, field, ...) is stored in its
own separate file.

Joe's point is important too. SQL (and the relational model)
is very inefficient for sequential access. Try to walk through
all records where the key is greater than a certain value. Now,
SQL "bigots" may say that that is a silly thing to do, and I don't
want to get into that discussion.





As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

This thread ...

Follow-Ups:
Replies:

Follow On AppleNews
Return to Archive home page | Return to MIDRANGE.COM home page

This mailing list archive is Copyright 1997-2024 by midrange.com and David Gibbs as a compilation work. Use of the archive is restricted to research of a business or technical nature. Any other uses are prohibited. Full details are available on our policy page. If you have questions about this, please contact [javascript protected email address].

Operating expenses for this site are earned using the Amazon Associate program and Google Adsense.