Hi Gabriele, >PROJECT NAME: dbms3.r (temporary) > >PURPOSE: > >writing a small and simple relational database management system >in REBOL, for use with applications that don't need a full blown >separate DBMS such as MySQL. With respect to dbms.r, it will be >more efficient in the data storage to be usable with much more >rows per table, and possibly will have a more powerful/abstracted >interface.
Here are some of my design thoughts at the binary DB level before getting into the row/col level functions. I am assuming (dangerous I know) that binary storage is an option at all. If you want a text based storage system then ignore this input. :-) I am concerned in my ignorance about your comment on REBOL not being able to seek "easily" on direct ports. Could you expand on this for me? It may be that REBOL just can't do the block oriented binary DB that I am envisioning - at this version anyway. Please note - these design notes are just that. They only represent some effort at considering the requirements of a binary DB storage system. It is based on some C work I did for a handheld computer I was programming for a couple of years ago. In the end we kept our application data in csv style text files for simplicity so none of this made it past "design". 1. Every database has a leading "Master" block. This block contains structured information about the database so it can be used properly. Master_Block Type Version Special Key Set of Flags Block Size Extend Count Free Block Count Free Block Root Chain Block Root 2. The rest of the database are "Normal" blocks of different types. Each of these blocks contains a standard fixed length "Header" with structured information about the block. After the header is the data storage area. Block_Header Key (DB location by offset based on fixed block size) Type Datatype Set of Flags Next Block Key Previous Block Key >From these basic pieces everything else is built. Each block in the database can belong in a doubly linked list style structure to provide a "series" of blocks. Special types of "Named" series such as an Index or Hash Table can be built by registering them with the list of chains stored in the root chain block. The block manager is only responsible for the following activities: 1. Creating, opening, and closing the binary file. 2. Initilizing and managing the master block data. 3. Providing functions to manage named chains. 4. Reading and writing blocks. 5. Managing the free block chain for allocation/reuse. 6. Traversing the block chains. At only a slightly higher level you would make use of the block chain structures to fill purposes such as defining a table to storing data and indexing it. Above that is where you would start interacting with the database as rows/cols or whatever it was designed for. I am leaving out lots of details for brevity and at this point want to follow Gabriele's lead and stop here and wait for reactions. I don't want to run off in a direction no one is interested in or distract from the main thread any more than I have so far without some list input. Thanks for listening, Rod. Rod Gaither Oak Ridge, NC - USA [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- To unsubscribe from this list, please send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with "unsubscribe" in the subject, without the quotes.
