Databases · 1970 · E. F. Codd
A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks
Separate logical data meaning from pointer paths and physical storage through relations and declarative operations.
The central move
Separate logical data meaning from pointer paths and physical storage through relations and declarative operations.
Why it had to exist
Applications navigated storage-specific links. A change to record layout or access path leaked into programs, making shared data difficult to evolve or query from new perspectives.
Where it leads
Relations → SQL and query optimization → transactions → most modern operational and analytical data systems.