Understanding Derived Attributes in Databases

Answered using GPT-4o mini by AI Answer Generator

Question:

What is the definition of derived attribute in database?

Answer:

In the context of databases, a derived attribute is an attribute whose value is calculated or derived from other attributes rather than being stored directly in the database. Derived attributes are typically computed at runtime based on the values of other attributes.

For example, consider a database for a retail store that has an attribute called TotalPrice, which could be a derived attribute calculated from the UnitPrice and Quantity attributes. Instead of storing TotalPrice directly, it can be computed using the formula:

TotalPrice = UnitPrice * Quantity

Derived attributes can help reduce redundancy and save storage space, as they do not need to be stored separately. However, they may require additional processing to compute when queried, which can impact performance depending on the complexity of the calculation and the size of