GATE CS 1994 Q3.11 — Normal Forms

The statement is False (represented as 0).

To understand why, let us compare the two types of data independence:

1. Physical Data Independence: This is the ability to modify the physical schema (such as changing file organizations, storage devices, or creating indexes) without requiring changes to the conceptual schema or application programs. Since the DBMS handles the mapping between the conceptual and physical levels automatically, physical data independence is relatively easy to achieve.
2. Logical Data Independence: This is the ability to modify the conceptual schema (such as adding/deleting attributes, or splitting/merging relations) without changing the external views or application programs. Since application programs are written directly based on the logical structure, any logical change requires complex mappings (like updating views) to keep the application unaffected. Due to constraints like view-update limitations, logical data independence is much harder to achieve.

Therefore, logical data independence is harder (not easier) to achieve than physical data independence.