Question

Code - Where to keep?

Asked by: skandalam

when implementing  business rules, which place would be good to keep code?
Is it good at Database level such as triggers and stored procedures
OR
in the application.
I want to know as many views as possible from you (experts).
Thanks for your help.

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Asked On
1999-10-14 at 10:40:52ID10219579
Topic

Oracle Database

Participating Experts
3
Points
70
Comments
8

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Answers

 

by: skandalamPosted on 1999-10-14 at 10:59:57ID: 2127411

Edited text of question.

 

by: meowshPosted on 1999-10-14 at 11:12:21ID: 2127444

On previous Oracle projects I have encouraged keeping the intelligence in the database in stored procedures.  On a former project 95% of the business logic was in the PL/SQL procs in the database and the 'presentation' tier (GUI) was Java applets.  The Java code then made calls to the database stored procs passing paramaters.  It worked very well.

There are four principle reasons for this.
1.  SQL that is in stored procs is already parsed (~compiled) against the database thus when it is called it will run quicker than application code which wont be pre-parsed against the database.
2.  If you need to implement an emergency fix a stored proc can be re-compiled within seconds as opposed to over night builds etcetera which can happen with applications.
3.  The amount of network traffic between client and server is then reduced as small calls are made as opposed to large SQL chunks being passed to and fro.
4.  Its server centric...this keeps clients 'thin' normally driving down the cost of ownership.  

I am not a big fan of triggers...they are some what invisible and if you forget they are there and change some data then changes will occur elsewhere in the datamodel that you might not have counted on.  I would always prefer a stored procedure which had to be purposely called.  It less automatic but more controlled; a trade off worth making in my opinion.

In the end though it comes down to the nature of the system and what it demands.

Hope this is the sort of comment you wanted.

Meowsh

 

by: markgeerPosted on 1999-10-14 at 12:59:07ID: 2127778

I agree with Meowsh.  I strongly prefer to see business rules enforced in the database.  This includes: PL\SQL packages, procedures and functions as well as referential integrity constraints and one-to-many relationships between tables.  In addition to the advantages already listed, this allows you to see and/or discover the rules from the data dictionary, rather than by examining application source code.

I also prefer to avoid triggers, unless there is no other reliable way to get the job done.

 

by: skandalamPosted on 1999-10-14 at 15:45:05ID: 2128162

Thanks Experts(meowsh & markgeer).
I agree with you and add my views also.

If business rules are implemented at database level,
data would be protected,
01. When third party tools are used to access data and
02. Or when tools provided by vendor (In ase of Oracle: SQL PLUS) are used to access data.

But here are some points why you may not want to use stored procedures ( I got these from internet, while I was surfing for something else)

01. Store procedures are written in a proprietary language, and as anyone who has ever ported between database vendors, or even between database versions from the same vendor this can be a show-stopper.

02.A simple stored procedure can bring the server to it knees, if it is invoked often enough.

03. As tables and store procedures are tighly coupled, when database adminstartors reorganize the database they need to rewrite stored procedures, and increase the maintenance burden of developers because they have to deal with the stored procedure code.

So, What are your commens?

 

by: mgokmanPosted on 1999-10-14 at 17:19:22ID: 2128295

Here are my comments on your cons:
1. All languages are "proprietory". The point is what vendor is the most popular. If you develop in Oracle chances are you will not need to port to other dbms like SQL Server or Sybase. Besides, in Oracle8i, you can write stored procs in Java, what language can be more universal today?
2. Any stupid code can bring down the server and so can any simple client based code that starts an endless loop with a query inside. You don't justify your design by possible poor code, that's the human resource issue, not the design issue.
3. I'm not sure what you mean by reorganizing the database and its impact. If you mean redesigning the tables, then stored procedures can save the DBAs life. Stored procedures act as wrappers around the tables. So client programs won't be affected by table redesign. It is true that stored procs will have to be change, but this change will be done only in one place, on the server. The change is inevitable no matter if you use procs or write all business rules on the client side. If they are in procs, then you have more control over these changes.

 

by: meowshPosted on 1999-10-15 at 01:03:40ID: 2128974

Hi skandalam

I agree with your first couple of comments

With respect to the second group of three comments
1.  Yes stored procs do tie the product to a database - and yes porting becoming a big issue..I currently work on a C++/Oracle project where stored procs arent used because of demands to port the system to Sybase and SQL Server7.  But we're a software house that sells the product to many companies.  If the system you are considering is bespoke for an individual company then I think chance of the system needing to be ported to another RDBMS is very slight..or at least I hope that would be the case
2.  Any code can bring the server to a standstill regardless of how its deployed...I think the trick is to make sure the code is tuned as oppposed to be concerned with how its stored.
3.  I agree with mgokman...stored procs in effect leave Developers protected.  The PL/SQL procs are a kind of 'middle tier'...they allow the database to change whilst keeping the client application intact...or have I missed your point.


Meowsh

 

by: markgeerPosted on 1999-10-16 at 07:49:44ID: 2132198

To Mgokman: excellent response to Skandalam's concerns!

 

by: skandalamPosted on 1999-10-18 at 12:51:28ID: 2136728

Thanks meowsh,markgeer and mgokman.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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