Cardinality (SQL statements)

Last updated

In SQL (Structured Query Language), the term cardinality refers to the uniqueness of data values contained in a particular column (attribute) of a database table. The lower the cardinality, the more duplicated elements in a column. Thus, a column with the lowest possible cardinality would have the same value for every row. SQL databases use cardinality to help determine the optimal query plan for a given query. [1]

Contents

Values of cardinality

When dealing with columnar value sets, there are three types of cardinality: high-cardinality, normal-cardinality, and low-cardinality.

High-cardinality refers to columns with values that are very uncommon or unique. High-cardinality column values are typically identification numbers, email addresses, or user names. An example of a data table column with high-cardinality would be a USERS table with a column named USER_ID. This column would contain unique values of 1-n. Each time a new user is created in the USERS table, a new number would be created in the USER_ID column to identify them uniquely. Since the values held in the USER_ID column are unique, this column's cardinality type would be referred to as high-cardinality.

Normal-cardinality refers to columns with values that are somewhat uncommon. Normal-cardinality column values are typically names, street addresses, or vehicle types. An example of a data table column with normal-cardinality would be a CUSTOMER table with a column named LAST_NAME, containing the last names of customers. While some people have common last names, such as Smith, others have uncommon last names. Therefore, an examination of all of the values held in the LAST_NAME column would show "clumps" of names in some places (e.g. a lot of Smiths) surrounded on both sides by a long series of unique values. Since there is a variety of possible values held in this column, its cardinality type would be referred to as normal-cardinality.

Low-cardinality refers to columns with few unique values. Low-cardinality column values are typically status flags, Boolean values, or major classifications such as gender. An example of a data table column with low-cardinality would be a CUSTOMER table with a column named NEW_CUSTOMER. This column would contain only two distinct values: Y or N, denoting whether the customer was new or not. Since there are only two possible values held in this column, its cardinality type would be referred to as low-cardinality. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

Database Organized collection of data

In computing, a database is an organized collection of data stored and accessed electronically from a computer system. Where databases are more complex they are often developed using formal design and modeling techniques.

Database normalization is the process of structuring a database, usually a relational database, in accordance with a series of so-called normal forms in order to reduce data redundancy and improve data integrity. It was first proposed by Edgar F. Codd as part of his relational model.

A relational database is a digital database based on the relational model of data, as proposed by E. F. Codd in 1970. A system used to maintain relational databases is a relational database management system (RDBMS). Many relational database systems have an option of using the SQL for querying and maintaining the database.

The relational model (RM) for database management is an approach to managing data using a structure and language consistent with first-order predicate logic, first described in 1969 by English computer scientist Edgar F. Codd, where all data is represented in terms of tuples, grouped into relations. A database organized in terms of the relational model is a relational database.

First normal form (1NF) is a property of a relation in a relational database. A relation is in first normal form if and only if no attribute domain has relations as elements. Or more informally, that no table column can have tables as values. Database normalization is the process of representing a database in terms of relations in standard normal forms, where first normal is a minimal requirement. SQL does not support creating or using table-valued columns, which means most relational databases will be in first normal form by necessity. Database systems which do not require first normal form are often called no sql systems.

In database systems, isolation determines how transaction integrity is visible to other users and systems.

In the context of SQL, data definition or data description language (DDL) is a syntax for creating and modifying database objects such as tables, indices, and users. DDL statements are similar to a computer programming language for defining data structures, especially database schemas. Common examples of DDL statements include CREATE, ALTER, and DROP.

A surrogate key in a database is a unique identifier for either an entity in the modeled world or an object in the database. The surrogate key is not derived from application data, unlike a natural key.

A join clause in SQL – corresponding to a join operation in relational algebra – combines columns from one or more tables into a new table. ANSI-standard SQL specifies five types of JOIN: INNER, LEFT OUTER, RIGHT OUTER, FULL OUTER and CROSS.

The SQL SELECT statement returns a result set of records, from one or more tables.

In a relational database, a column is a set of data values of a particular type, one value for each row of the database. A column may contain text values, numbers, or even pointers to files in the operating system. Columns typically contain simple types, though some relational database systems allow columns to contain more complex data types, such as whole documents, images, or even video clips. A column can also be called an attribute.

A database index is a data structure that improves the speed of data retrieval operations on a database table at the cost of additional writes and storage space to maintain the index data structure. Indexes are used to quickly locate data without having to search every row in a database table every time a database table is accessed. Indexes can be created using one or more columns of a database table, providing the basis for both rapid random lookups and efficient access of ordered records.

A user-defined function (UDF) is a function provided by the user of a program or environment, in a context where the usual assumption is that functions are built into the program or environment. UDFs are usually written for the requirement of its creator.

Null (SQL) Marker used in SQL databases to indicate a value does not exist

Null or NULL is a special marker used in Structured Query Language to indicate that a data value does not exist in the database. Introduced by the creator of the relational database model, E. F. Codd, SQL Null serves to fulfil the requirement that all true relational database management systems (RDMS) support a representation of "missing information and inapplicable information". Codd also introduced the use of the lowercase Greek omega (ω) symbol to represent Null in database theory. In SQL, NULL is a reserved word used to identify this marker.

Dimension (data warehouse) Structure that categorizes facts and measures in a data warehouse

A dimension is a structure that categorizes facts and measures in order to enable users to answer business questions. Commonly used dimensions are people, products, place and time.

Entity–attribute–value model (EAV) is a data model to encode, in a space-efficient manner, entities where the number of attributes that can be used to describe them is potentially vast, but the number that will actually apply to a given entity is relatively modest. Such entities correspond to the mathematical notion of a sparse matrix.

In Relational Database Management Systems, a unique key is a candidate key that is not the primary key of the relation. All the candidate keys of a relation can uniquely identify the records of the relation, but only one of them is used as the primary key of the relation. The remaining candidate keys are called unique keys because they can uniquely identify a record in a relation. Unique keys can consist of multiple columns. Unique Keys are also called alternate keys. Unique keys are an alternative to the primary key of the relation. Generally, the unique keys have a UNIQUEconstraint.

A database model is a type of data model that determines the logical structure of a database. It fundamentally determines in which manner data can be stored, organized and manipulated. The most popular example of a database model is the relational model, which uses a table-based format.

A document-oriented database, or document store, is a computer program and data storage system designed for storing, retrieving and managing document-oriented information, also known as semi-structured data.

The MySQLi Extension is a relational database driver used in the PHP scripting language to provide an interface with MySQL databases.

References

  1. "Database SQL Language Reference".
  2. "Data management".