A temporal relational model and a query language (Q750144)

In Section 1 the authors give a list of current approaches to time modelling in databases and their critical evaluation. Section 2 describes a new temporal data model (TRM) that attempts to overcome problems of previous models. The TRM supports a variation of attribute time-stamping within the framework of classical relational theory. With notions of synchronous and asynchronous time-varying attributes the notion of temporal dependency is defined. As these dependencies can induce update and retrieval anomalies, the authors introduce a time normal form of a relation. The notion extends the well- known BCNF. In Section 3 a new temporal query language TSQL is formulated. The TSQL extends the relational language SQL by some time aspects such as the WHEN clause, retrieval of timestamp values and temporally ordered information, specification of time domain using the TIME-SLICE clause, etc. The suggested framework gives a coherent and consistent framework for management of time-varying as well as non-time-varying information. It also offers a number of open problems for investigation.