A new version of ISO Standard SQL has just been approved and published

I thought it may be of interest to this group that a new version of ISO (and ANSI) standard SQL has just been approved and published. (ISO 9075 SQL:2011)

Of particular interest may be the fact that this new version of standard SQL includes support for System Versioned Tables (transaction time) and Application Time Period Tables (valid time) which together provide support for bitemporal data.

I think this is relevant for dimensional modeling professionals because these “temporal extensions” can be used for things like maintaining the integrity of valid ranges on type 2 SCD tables.

Some, including me, think that these new temporal extensions may have an even bigger impact on decision support database design.

More information on this topic is available by searching youtube for "bitemporal data".

Craig

The five parts of SQL:2011 were published on December 15, 2011 and are available at the ISO web store:

http://www.iso.org/iso/search.htm?qt=9075&searchSubmit=Search&sort=rel&type=simple&published=true

The 5 parts are:

-- Part 1: SQL/Framework
-- Part 2: SQL/Foundation
-- Part 4: SQL/PSM
-- Part 11: SQL/Schemata
-- Part 14: SQL/XML

Part 2 is what is of most interest as this is the real SQL language specification (This is the biggest and most important part of the standard). It is in here that you will find new features such as period definitions, system-time period, application-time period, etc. which i think may have so much value/utility for designers of databases which hold historical data.

Craig