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Codd Rules

Dr. Edgar F. Codd established 12 rules that a database must follow to be considered truly relational. The rules include: (1) all data must be stored in tables; (2) every data element must be logically accessible; (3) NULL values must be treated uniformly. Additional rules require: (4) an online catalog of the database structure; (5) the database can only be accessed using a standard language; and (6) the data must be independent of applications and users' views.

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108 views2 pages

Codd Rules

Dr. Edgar F. Codd established 12 rules that a database must follow to be considered truly relational. The rules include: (1) all data must be stored in tables; (2) every data element must be logically accessible; (3) NULL values must be treated uniformly. Additional rules require: (4) an online catalog of the database structure; (5) the database can only be accessed using a standard language; and (6) the data must be independent of applications and users' views.

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Dr Edgar F.

Codd, after his extensive research on the Relational Model of database systems,
came up with twelve rules of his own, which according to him, a database must obey in order
to be regarded as a true relational database.

These rules can be applied on any database system that manages stored data using only its
relational capabilities. This is a foundation rule, which acts as a base for all the other rules.

Rule 1: Information Rule


The data stored in a database, may it be user data or metadata, must be a value of some table
cell. Everything in a database must be stored in a table format.

Rule 2: Guaranteed Access Rule


Every single data element value is guaranteed to be accessible logically with a combination
of table-name, primary-key rowvalue, and attribute-name columnvalue. No other means, such
as pointers, can be used to access data.

Rule 3: Systematic Treatment of NULL Values


The NULL values in a database must be given a systematic and uniform treatment. This is a
very important rule because a NULL can be interpreted as one the following − data is
missing, data is not known, or data is not applicable.

Rule 4: Active Online Catalog


The structure description of the entire database must be stored in an online catalog, known as
data dictionary, which can be accessed by authorized users. Users can use the same query
language to access the catalog which they use to access the database itself.

Rule 5: Comprehensive Data Sub-Language Rule


A database can only be accessed using a language having linear syntax that supports data
definition, data manipulation, and transaction management operations. This language can be
used directly or by means of some application. If the database allows access to data without
any help of this language, then it is considered as a violation.

Rule 6: View Updating Rule


All the views of a database, which can theoretically be updated, must also be updatable by the
system.

Rule 7: High-Level Insert, Update, and Delete Rule


A database must support high-level insertion, updation, and deletion. This must not be limited
to a single row, that is, it must also support union, intersection and minus operations to yield
sets of data records.

Rule 8: Physical Data Independence


The data stored in a database must be independent of the applications that access the
database. Any change in the physical structure of a database must not have any impact on
how the data is being accessed by external applications.

Rule 9: Logical Data Independence


The logical data in a database must be independent of its user’s view application. Any change
in logical data must not affect the applications using it. For example, if two tables are merged
or one is split into two different tables, there should be no impact or change on the user
application. This is one of the most difficult rule to apply.

Rule 10: Integrity Independence


A database must be independent of the application that uses it. All its integrity constraints can
be independently modified without the need of any change in the application. This rule makes
a database independent of the front-end application and its interface.

Rule 11: Distribution Independence


The end-user must not be able to see that the data is distributed over various locations. Users
should always get the impression that the data is located at one site only. This rule has been
regarded as the foundation of distributed database systems.

Rule 12: Non-Subversion Rule


If a system has an interface that provides access to low-level records, then the interface must
not be able to subvert the system and bypass security and integrity constraints.

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