I use the noun “table”, in normal font, for objects of two
C++ types: table and serial_table. There are differences between
them, as we shall see, but they have 99% of their DNA in common. Every
table has the following features:
-
It represents an SQL table at a specific site,
which means:
-
with a specific SQL name,
-
in a specific database,
-
in a specific schema (PostgreSQL only),
-
optionally, in a specific attached database (sqlite only).
-
It is a kind of query, so it has a value type and a value mapper, and
its value mapper is accessible via
*
and ->.
-
It has an SQL name.
-
It has two states: closed and open.
-
When it's closed, you can:
-
specify a primary key, indexes, and foreign key constraints,
-
alter the nature of the SQL table it represents, i.e. change
its name, add or remove columns, or change the columns' names
or types,
-
delete the SQL table it represents,
-
customize the mapping of polymorphically mapped types within
the table,
-
open it.
-
When it's open, you can:
-
manipulate its data, i.e. add, remove, or update records.
-
use it as a query,
-
close it.
We discussed queries in the previous chapter,
and there is nothing extra to be said about using a table in that way.
We'll come to mapping customizations in the next
chapter. The present chapter, then, is for the other items.
