Multivalues

The term 'multivalues' refers to the characteristic or condition of having, or being able to have, multiple distinct values associated with a single entity, attribute, or variable. It represents a departure from the concept of a single value, allowing for the representation of more complex relationships and data structures. This concept is prominent in database systems, data modeling, programming languages, and various fields where the richness of data representation is crucial. The presence of multivalues often necessitates specific handling and querying methods compared to single-value scenarios.

Multivalues meaning with examples

• In a database, a 'customer' attribute might be 'phone numbers'. If a customer has multiple phone numbers, the 'phone numbers' attribute is considered a multivalues attribute, allowing storage of each number associated with the same customer. Without it, only one phone number could be linked. Querying would retrieve all numbers.
• Within a programming language, such as Python, a list can function to represent multivalues for a particular variable or a parameter. This list might hold a variety of data types such as integers, strings, and other objects. These values can be accessed and manipulated separately offering flexible data management
• In XML, attributes can hold only a single value, but the values might exist in the form of an attribute list. multivalues are a key ingredient that permits the incorporation of data from a multitude of different sources and systems. This allows for more complex and dynamic document structure.
• In a sales order, a 'product' attribute might list several items purchased. Each item has a quantity and product ID, with many of these combined, providing a more sophisticated order structure. Without it, each item would need to be assigned to a unique 'sales order' record and duplicated.