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000151_rts _Mon Jun 7 13:41:24 1993.msg
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Received: from boojum.CS.Arizona.EDU by optima.CS.Arizona.EDU (5.65c/15) via SMTP
id AA19181; Mon, 7 Jun 1993 13:41:25 MST
Date: Mon, 7 Jun 1993 13:41:24 MST
From: "Rick Snodgrass" <rts>
Message-Id: <199306072041.AA03778@boojum.cs.arizona.edu>
Received: by boojum.cs.arizona.edu; Mon, 7 Jun 1993 13:41:24 MST
To: tsql@cs.arizona.edu
Subject: Re: TSQL Benchmark STATUS
Expressiveness and user friendliness are two separate concepts.
Contrast SQL and the relational algebra. The former is generally judged
to have greater user friendliness, whereas both can be shown to have
equivalent expressive power (with appropriate provisos). In the papers
I have read, user friendliness has been argued via examples (c.f.,
the current benchmark), or with psychological testing via user
studies (again, with examples).
The first page of the benchmark states "The benchmark is ...not
a substitute for a rigorous theoretical study of expressive powers
of various temporal query languages." Hence, it explicitly removes
expressive power from those issues it considers further.
I guess we should consult the originators of the term "semantic
benchmark," Ed and Patrick, to hear whether they agree with the comment
that "the whole idea behind this 'semantic benchmark' is to provide
some [presumably sound theoretical basis for a] measure of what should
be expressible in a temporal query language."