C.J. Date's SQL and Relational Theory Master Class

Chris Date is the world's best known relational advocate. In this online seminar, he shows howto write SQL code that's logically correct; how to avoid various SQL traps and pitfalls; and,more generally, how to use SQL as if it were a true relational language.

SQL is ubiquitous. But SQL is also complicated, difficult, and error prone -- much more so than SQL advocates would have you believe. There's a lot of bad practice in the way SQL is used, and testing SQL can never be exhaustive. If you have any hope of writing correct SQL, you must follow some discipline: the discipline of using SQL relationally.

It's a fact: SQL is the standard language for relational databases, but that doesn't make it relational! SQL departs from relational theory in all too many ways. Duplicate rows and nulls provide two obvious examples, but they're not the only ones. In this class, you'll learn relational theory, how SQL departs from the theory, and how to avoid the problems that can cause. By using the relational model as an organizing principle, and learning various features of the model in depth, you'll discover the best ways to implement SQL. And you'll enjoy the benefits of working with a truly relational system.

Exercises are an integral part of the class, and your discussion and interaction are encouraged. We are capturing these sessions on video and all students are required to sign a release form prior to the commencement of the class, a copy of which may be downloaded in advance. Hard copy forms will be provided at the event.