Storing conditional logic expressions/rules in a database

Question

How can I store logical expressions using a RDBMS?

I tag objects and would like to be able to build truth statements based on those tags. (These might be considered as

Answer 1

From a pragmatic standpoint, you can make computed fields on the database if all of the columns necessary for the computation live on the same table - computed fields can only work from a single record. Most modern DBMS platforms have some support for this feature.

From a theoretical standpoint, you are getting into Semantic Data Modelling. The best paper on this is Hammer and MacLeods Ruritanian Oil Tankers paper, which describes a semantic data modelling notation imaginatively called SDM. SDM uses a structured english type notation for marking up database rules of the sort you describe. If you wanted to generalise your capability and didn't mind writing a parser for SDM, you could make a rule engine where this sort of logic could be configured. This type of model should also be possible to adapt to play nicely with an O/R mapper.

On the minus side, making this sort of tool would be quite time-consuming, so it would only be worth doing if your requirement for managing data semantics was very large. For the example you cite it would comfortably fit into the realms of overkill, but if your problem is much bigger, it might be worth building something like this. If you didn't want to write a parser, you could make an XML schema for marking up a SDM-like language.