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Query Languages

  • Language in which user requests information from the database
  • Relational algebra is one of the two procedural/formal query language associated with relational model.
  • Its is theoretical approach
  • Relational model consist two theoretical language (1) Relational Algebra (2) Relational Calculus

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  • Like any other mathematical system is defines a number of operators and use relations (tables) as operands.
  • In RA / RC you can’t use English Keywords.

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Operator(s) – Select

  • Horizontal partition – (to select few row or all)
  • Vertical partition – (to select few column or all)

(projection)

  • Can combine both partition

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Keys

  • Let K ⊆ R
  • K is a superkey of R if values for K are sufficient to identify a unique tuple of each possible relation r(R)
    • by “possible r” we mean a relation r that could exist in the enterprise we are modeling.
    • Example: {customer-name, customer-street} and� {customer-name} �are both superkeys of Customer, if no two customers can possibly have the same name.
  • K is a candidate key if K is minimal�Example: {customer-name} is a candidate key for Customer, since it is a superkey (assuming no two customers can possibly have the same name), and no subset of it is a superkey.

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