Note: In "Setting Matters Straight" posts I debunk online pronouncements that involve fundamentals which I first post on LinkedIn. The purpose is to induce practitioners to test their foundation knowledge against our debunking, where we explain what is correct and what is fallacious. For in-depth treatments check out the POSTS and our PAPERS, LINKS and BOOKS (or organize one of our on-site/online SEMINARS, which can be customized to specific needs). Questions and comments are welcome here and on LinkedIn.
Assessing such arguments normally requires clarification of what exactly is meant by "the relational model". Ross does refer specifically to the "original" -- which we take to mean that introduced by Codd in 1969-70 -- but given the massive misuse and abuse in the industry, perceptions of it may well be corrupted (Nobody Understands the Relational Model Semantics, Relational Closure and Database Correctness). Moreover, there are many predicate logic (PL) systems and many ways of categorizing them (1st vs n-th order being only one way) -- we assume Ross means RDM is based on none.“As I have said many times, if the original relational model had been based on predicate logic and also the semantics and rules of definitions we'd all be better off now. It wasn't. Full stop.”--Ronald Ross, LinkedIn.com
