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-rw-r--r--feature/query/container126
-rw-r--r--feature/query/list2
2 files changed, 128 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/feature/query/container b/feature/query/container
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..76c005e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/feature/query/container
@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+- Parts of a container query:
+
+ * selector -- selects which elements are examined
+ * predicate -- test applied on the selected elements
+ * quantifier -- counts how many selected elements satisfy the predicate
+
+ Selector and predicate use the same query syntax, e.g., (query::index < 10).
+
+ The most general quantifier is 'count' which simply returns the number
+ of elements that satisfied the predicate. We will also have "shortcut"
+ quantifiers for convenience (and optimization, in the case of 'all'):
+
+ any == (count != 0)
+ all == (count == size)
+ one == (count == 1)
+ none == (count == 0)
+
+ Note that while it may seem that selector and predicate are the same
+ thing, they really are not (see IMP operator).
+
+- The most promising syntax so far:
+
+ typedef odb::query<employer> query;
+ typedef query::employees_query emp_query; // employees_value,
+ // employees_element
+ // employees_type
+
+ query::employees[emp_query::index < 10].count (
+ emp_query::value.first == "John" &&
+ emp_query::value.last == "Doe") > 1;
+
+ The selector ([]) is optional. If not present, then defaults to 'all'.
+ Instead of 'count' we one can write 'any', 'all', 'one', or 'none'.
+
+ query::employees_query type is essentially a container element (or
+ value) type. For vector it would be:
+
+ struct
+ {
+ index;
+ value;
+ };
+
+ For a map it would be:
+
+ struct
+ {
+ key;
+ value;
+ };
+
+ The weakest part in this syntax is the emp_query typedef. We kind of
+ need it in order not to have to repeat it all the time. We need to
+ come up with a clean naming schema for these things (both for the
+ typedef inside query and the alias that the user gives it). For
+ simple queries it can be omitted, for example:
+
+ query::employees.any (
+ query::employees_element::value == name ("John", "Doe"));
+
+ It is conceptually correct that we don't say query::employees::value
+ because 'employees' is a whole container while what we refer to is
+ an element of a container.
+
+ This is also related to the mass UPDATE feature in the sense that
+ the whole "_query" naming schema will have to be changed since we
+ will want to write something like:
+
+ update ((?::age += 1), (?::name == "John"));
+
+ Keeping the "query" name and ending up with something like this
+ is most definitely a bad idea:
+
+ update ((query::ceo = true), (query::name == "John Doe"));
+
+ So we need some neutral name, something like "members":
+
+ typedef odb::members<employee> members;
+
+ update ((members::ceo = true), (members::name == "John Doe"));
+ query (members::name == "John Doe" && members::ceo);
+
+- empty(), size() -- these are properties of the container itself, not
+ its elements. Syntax:
+
+ query::employees.empty ()
+
+ This will probably be easiest to implement with an aggregate sub-query,
+ which is ok.
+
+ There is a way to implement empty() without a subquery using left
+ join.
+
+- count predicate; e.g., more than five employees are female.
+
+- For object queries will need DISTINCT. Container table is only used in
+ the where clause.
+
+- Joining containers in views. Here might need DISTINCT ON (not supported
+ in SQLite) but will probably have to be user controllable. Also in this
+ case the container table can be used in both select list and where clause.
+
+- From: http://www.codesynthesis.com/pipermail/odb-users/2014-January/001696.html
+
+ When people are using a container in a query condition, we need to know
+ which elements to consider. This can be some specific element (e.g., the
+ first element), any element, all elements, a range of elements, etc.
+
+ I think the "any element" will be the most widely used case and is the one
+ we definitely have to support. Others, I am not sure it will even be
+ possible to implement in SQL in any sane way (e.g., all elements, a range of
+ elements). Maybe what we should do is expose the index column (or the key
+ column for maps) to the user so that they can create whatever conditions
+ they want. Something along these lines:
+
+ query::authTokens.index == 0 && query::authTokens->hash == 123
+
+ [Note the problem with this syntax: a container element may also have a data
+ member named index.]
+
+ It is also not clear how to implement the "all elements" case with this
+ approach, or in SQL in a sane/portable way in general.
+
+- User examples:
+
+ http://www.codesynthesis.com/pipermail/odb-users/2011-September/000300.html
diff --git a/feature/query/list b/feature/query/list
index 4d09312..85be57d 100644
--- a/feature/query/list
+++ b/feature/query/list
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+- Support containers in queries: container
+
- Shortcut query() call for queries that always return one element
Can be useful for aggregate queries, etc.