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The Relational Data Model and Relational Database Constraints

The document discusses the relational data model and constraints. It defines key concepts like relations, tuples, attributes, domains, schemas, and keys. It explains the formal definitions of these concepts and provides examples. It also discusses integrity constraints like entity integrity, which ensures primary keys cannot be null, and referential integrity, which defines relationships between relations using foreign keys. Relational database schemas are defined as a set of relation schemas along with these constraints.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
77 views

The Relational Data Model and Relational Database Constraints

The document discusses the relational data model and constraints. It defines key concepts like relations, tuples, attributes, domains, schemas, and keys. It explains the formal definitions of these concepts and provides examples. It also discusses integrity constraints like entity integrity, which ensures primary keys cannot be null, and referential integrity, which defines relationships between relations using foreign keys. Relational database schemas are defined as a set of relation schemas along with these constraints.

Uploaded by

logeshwaran
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Chapter 5

The Relational Data Model and Relational Database


Constraints
Chapter Outline
➲ Relational Model Concepts
➲ Relational Model Constraints and Relational
Database Schemas
➲ Update Operations and Dealing with
Constraint Violations
Relational Model Concepts
➲ The relational Model of Data is based on the concept of
a Relation
 The strength of the relational approach to data
management comes from the formal foundation provided by
the theory of relations
➲ We review the essentials of the formal relational model
➲ In practice, there is a standard model based on SQL
➲ Note: There are several important differences between
the formal model and the practical model, as we shall
see
Relational Model Concepts
➲ A Relation is a mathematical concept based on
the ideas of sets
➲ The model was first proposed by Dr. E.F. Codd
of IBM Research in 1970 in the following
paper:
 "A Relational Model for Large Shared Data Banks,"
Communications of the ACM, June 1970
Informal Definitions

➲ Informally, a relation looks like a table of values.

➲ A relation typically contains a set of rows.

➲ The data elements in each row represent certain facts that


correspond to a real-world entity or relationship
 In the formal model, rows are called tuples

➲ Each column has a column header that gives an indication


of the meaning of the data items in that column
 In the formal model, the column header is called an attribute
name (or just attribute)
Example of a Relation
Informal Definitions
➲ Key of a Relation:
 Each row has a value of a data item (or set of items)
that uniquely identifies that row in the table
 Called the key
 In the STUDENT table, SSN is the key

 Sometimes row-ids or sequential numbers are


assigned as keys to identify the rows in a table
 Called artificial key or surrogate key
Formal Definitions - Schema
➲ The Schema (or description) of a Relation:
 Denoted by R(A1, A2, .....An)
 R is the name of the relation
 The attributes of the relation are A1, A2, ..., An

➲ Each attribute has a domain or a set of valid values.


 For example, the domain of Cust-id is 6 digit numbers.
Formal Definitions - Tuple
➲ A tuple is an ordered set of values (enclosed in angled
brackets ‘< … >’)
➲ Each value is derived from an appropriate domain.
➲ A row in the CUSTOMER relation is a 4-tuple and would
consist of four values, for example:
 <632895, "John Smith", "101 Main St. Atlanta, GA 30332",
"(404) 894-2000">
 This is called a 4-tuple as it has 4 values
 A tuple (row) in the CUSTOMER relation.
➲ A relation is a set of such tuples (rows)
Formal Definitions - State
➲ The relation state is a subset of the Cartesian
product of the domains of its attributes
 each domain contains the set of all possible values
the attribute can take.
➲ Example: attribute Cust-name is defined over
the domain of character strings of maximum
length 25
 dom(Cust-name) is varchar(25)
➲ The role these strings play in the CUSTOMER
relation is that of the name of a customer.
Formal Definitions - Summary
➲ Formally,
 Given R(A1, A2, .........., An)
 r(R) ⊂ dom (A1) X dom (A2) X ....X dom(An)
➲ R(A1, A2, …, An) is the schema of the relation
➲ R is the name of the relation
➲ A1, A2, …, An are the attributes of the relation
➲ r(R): a specific state (or "value" or “population”) of
relation R – this is a set of tuples (rows)
 r(R) = {t1, t2, …, tn} where each ti is an n-tuple
 ti = <v1, v2, …, vn> where each vj element-of dom(Aj)
Formal Definitions - Example
➲ Let R(A1, A2) be a relation schema:
 Let dom(A1) = {0,1}
 Let dom(A2) = {a,b,c}
➲ Then: dom(A1) X dom(A2) is all possible combinations:
{<0,a> , <0,b> , <0,c>, <1,a>, <1,b>, <1,c> }

➲ The relation state r(R) ⊂ dom(A1) X dom(A2)


➲ For example: r(R) could be {<0,a> , <0,b> , <1,c> }
 this is one possible state (or “population” or “extension”) r of
the relation R, defined over A1 and A2.
 It has three 2-tuples: <0,a> , <0,b> , <1,c>
Definition Summary

Informal Terms Formal Terms

Table Relation

Column header Attribute

All possible column values Domain

Row Tuple

Table definition Schema of a Relation

Populated table State of the Relation


Example – A relation STUDENT
Characteristics Of Relations
➲ Ordering of tuples in a relation r(R):
 The tuples are not considered to be ordered,
even though they appear to be in the tabular
form.
➲ Ordering of attributes in a relation schema R
(and of values within each tuple):
 We will consider the attributes in R(A1, A2, ...,
An) and the values in t=<v1, v2, ..., vn> to be
ordered .
 (However, a more general alternative definition of
relation does not require this ordering).
Same state as previous Figure (but with
different order of tuples)
Characteristics Of Relations
➲ Values in a tuple:
 All values are considered atomic (indivisible).
 Each value in a tuple must be from the domain of
the attribute for that column
 If tuple t = <v1, v2, …, vn> is a tuple (row) in the relation
state r of R(A1, A2, …, An)
 Then each vi must be a value from dom(Ai)

 A special null value is used to represent values that


are unknown or inapplicable to certain tuples.
Characteristics Of Relations
➲ Notation:
 We refer to component values of a tuple t by:
 t[Ai] or t.Ai
 This is the value vi of attribute Ai for tuple t
 Similarly, t[Au, Av, ..., Aw] refers to the subtuple of t
containing the values of attributes Au, Av, ..., Aw,
respectively in t
Relational Integrity Constraints
➲ Constraints are conditions that must hold on all valid
relation states.
➲ There are three main types of constraints in the
relational model:
 Key constraints
 Entity integrity constraints
 Referential integrity constraints
➲ Another implicit constraint is the domain constraint
 Every value in a tuple must be from the domain of its
attribute (or it could be null, if allowed for that attribute)
Key Constraints
➲ Superkey of R:
 Is a set of attributes SK of R with the following condition:
 No two tuples in any valid relation state r(R) will have the same
value for SK
 That is, for any distinct tuples t1 and t2 in r(R), t1[SK] ≠ t2[SK]
 This condition must hold in any valid state r(R)
➲ Key of R:
 A "minimal" superkey
 That is, a key is a superkey K such that removal of any
attribute from K results in a set of attributes that is not a
superkey (does not possess the superkey uniqueness
property)
CAR table with two candidate keys –
LicenseNumber chosen as Primary Key
Relational Database Schema
➲ Relational Database Schema:
 A set S of relation schemas that belong to the same
database.
 S is the name of the whole database schema
 S = {R1, R2, ..., Rn}
 R1, R2, …, Rn are the names of the individual
relation schemas within the database S
➲ Following slide shows a COMPANY database
schema with 6 relation schemas
COMPANY Database Schema
Entity Integrity
➲ Entity Integrity:
 The primary key attributes PK of each relation schema
R in S cannot have null values in any tuple of r(R).
 This is because primary key values are used to identify the
individual tuples.
 t[PK] ≠ null for any tuple t in r(R)
 If PK has several attributes, null is not allowed in any of these
attributes
 Note: Other attributes of R may be constrained to
disallow null values, even though they are not
members of the primary key.
Referential Integrity
➲ A constraint involving two relations
 The previous constraints involve a single relation.
➲ Used to specify a relationship among tuples
in two relations:
 The referencing relation and the referenced
relation.
Referential Integrity
➲ Tuples in the referencing relation R1 have
attributes FK (called foreign key attributes)
that reference the primary key attributes PK of
the referenced relation R2.
 A tuple t1 in R1 is said to reference a tuple t2 in R2
if t1[FK] = t2[PK].
➲ A referential integrity constraint can be
displayed in a relational database schema as a
directed arc from R1.FK to R2.
Displaying a relational database schema
and its constraints
➲ Each relation schema can be displayed as a row of
attribute names
➲ The name of the relation is written above the attribute
names
➲ The primary key attribute (or attributes) will be underlined
➲ A foreign key (referential integrity) constraints is displayed
as a directed arc (arrow) from the foreign key attributes to
the referenced table
 Can also point the the primary key of the referenced relation
for clarity
➲ Next slide shows the COMPANY relational schema
diagram
Referential Integrity Constraints for COMPANY database
Other Types of Constraints
➲ Semantic Integrity Constraints:
 based on application semantics and cannot be
expressed by the model
 Example: “the max. no. of hours per employee for all
projects he or she works on is 56 hrs per week”

➲ SQL-99 allows triggers and ASSERTIONS to


express for some of these
Populated database state
➲ Each relation will have many tuples in its current relation
state
➲ The relational database state is a union of all the
individual relation states
➲ Whenever the database is changed, a new state arises
➲ Basic operations for changing the database:
 INSERT a new tuple in a relation
 DELETE an existing tuple from a relation
 MODIFY an attribute of an existing tuple
Populated database state for COMPANY
Update Operations on Relations
➲ INSERT a tuple.
➲ DELETE a tuple.
➲ MODIFY a tuple.
➲ Integrity constraints should not be violated by
the update operations.
➲ Updates may propagate to cause other
updates automatically. This may be necessary
to maintain integrity constraints.
Update Operations on Relations
➲ In case of integrity violation, several actions
can be taken:
 Cancel the operation that causes the violation
(RESTRICT or REJECT option)
 Perform the operation but inform the user of the
violation
 Trigger additional updates so the violation is
corrected (CASCADE option, SET NULL option)
 Execute a user-specified error-correction routine
Possible violations for each operation
➲ INSERT may violate any of the constraints:
 Domain constraint:
 if one of the attribute values provided for the new tuple is not of
the specified attribute domain
 Key constraint:
 if the value of a key attribute in the new tuple already exists in
another tuple in the relation
 Referential integrity:
 if a foreign key value in the new tuple references a primary key
value that does not exist in the referenced relation
 Entity integrity:
 if the primary key value is null in the new tuple
Possible violations for each operation
➲ DELETE may violate only referential integrity:
 If the primary key value of the tuple being deleted is
referenced from other tuples in the database
 Can be remedied by several actions: RESTRICT, CASCADE,
SET NULL (see Chapter 8 for more details)
 RESTRICT option: reject the deletion
 CASCADE option: propagate the new primary key value into the
foreign keys of the referencing tuples
 SET NULL option: set the foreign keys of the referencing tuples to
NULL
 One of the above options must be specified during
database design for each foreign key constraint
Possible violations for each operation
➲ UPDATE may violate domain constraint and NOT NULL
constraint on an attribute being modified
➲ Any of the other constraints may also be violated,
depending on the attribute being updated:
 Updating the primary key (PK):
 Similar to a DELETE followed by an INSERT
 Need to specify similar options to DELETE
 Updating a foreign key (FK):
 May violate referential integrity
 Updating an ordinary attribute (neither PK nor FK):
 Can only violate domain constraints
Summary
➲ Presented Relational Model Concepts
 Definitions
 Characteristics of relations
➲ Discussed Relational Model Constraints and Relational
Database Schemas
 Domain constraints’
 Key constraints
 Entity integrity
 Referential integrity
➲ Described the Relational Update Operations and Dealing with
Constraint Violations

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