Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!munnari.oz.au!csc!csc3.anu.oz!ccadfa!ghm
From: ghm@ccadfa.adfa.oz.au (Geoff Miller)
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Re: Is RDBMS unproven technology? (Flames to follow....)
Message-ID: <1809@ccadfa.adfa.oz.au>
Date: 12 Aug 90 23:39:54 GMT
References: <1073@ashton.UUCP> <10371@sybase.sybase.com> <13532@ulysses.att.com>  <10419@sybase.sybase.com> <13545@ulysses.att.com> <10494@sybase.sybase.com>
Organization: Computer Centre, University College, UNSW, ADFA, Canberra, Australia
Lines: 20

tim@ohday.sybase.com (Tim Wood) writes:

>Making it very simple:
>The relational model eases application development.  This tends to
>encourage application development.  So the app. programmer and
>the users benefit: the users get more needs met because
>the app. programmer's job is easier because the relational model makes
>app. writing easier.

I would agree with Tim, and particularly with his choice of words  -  
"relational model" rather than "RDBMS".  One can (and we have) successfully
implement databases designed using the relational model without using an
RDBMS, and we still obtain the advantages which Tim points out.  I have 
been concerned for some years now that the marketers of so-called 
"relational" products have pursuaded a gullible user community into thinking
that a relational model can only be implemented using an RDBMS, which 
simply is not so!

Geoff Miller (ghm@cc.adfa.oz.au)
Computer Centre, Australian Defence Force Academy