Typed query languages for databases containing queries

This paper introduces and studies the relational meta algebra, a statically typed extension of the relational algebra to allow for meta programming in databases. In this meta algebra one can manipulate database relations invo lving not only stored data values (as in classical relational databases) bu t also stored relational algebra expressions. Topics discussed include mode ling of advanced database applications involving "procedural data"; desirab ility as well as limitations of a strict typing discipline in this context; equivalence with a first-order calculus; and global expressive power and n on-redundancy of the proposed formalism. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.