The View-Update Problem for Indefinite Databases

Abstract

This paper introduces and studies a declarative framework for updating views over indefinite databases. An indefinite database is a database with null values that are represented, following the standard database approach, by a single null constant. The paper formalizes views over such databases as indefinite deductive databases, and defines for them several classes of database repairs that realize view-update requests. Most notable is the class of constrained repairs. Constrained repairs change the database "minimally" and avoid making arbitrary commitments. They narrow down the space of alternative ways to fulfill the view-update request to those that are grounded, in a certain strong sense, in the database, the view and the view-update request.