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DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF COMPUTER DATABASES
DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF COMPUTER DATABASES
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机译:计算机数据库的开发和维护
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摘要
A database system is disclosed that includes a data repository and a data dictionary, in which dictionary is contained definitions of data to be stored within the repository and of operations to be performed upon the data. This architecture centralises the definition of the data and the processes to be performed on the data into a single dictionary, thereby removing the traditional separation between defining the structure of the data contained within the database and defining the code that is applied to it. In particularly advantageous embodiments of the invention, the contents of the data dictionary may be evaluated at an arbitrary time during execution of a database system. That is to say, evaluation of the contents of the dictionary is not limited to times at which specific events, such as the creation of a new record, occur. Thus, a definition within the dictionary is expressed formulaically, based upon the instantaneous state of the database, the definition being reevaluated as often as necessary to maintain consistency as the state of the database is changed. For instance, the database structure may be automatically updated and changed whenever the dictionary is updated. In a desirable refinement of this, the issuer can determine whether the updates will take place automatically, or be controlled by the user, or are to be abandoned if certain pre-conditions are not met.
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