Which SQL features would help a DBA automatically update average ratings when new ratings are submitted?

• A. Functions and Stored Procedures
• B. Triggers and TCL
• C. Joins and Views
• D. Updates and Selects

Answer: (B)

The feature that would effectively allow a DBA to automatically update average ratings when new ratings are submitted is the use of triggers and Transaction Control Language (TCL).

Triggers are special types of stored procedures that automatically execute or fire in response to certain events on a particular table or view, such as an insert, update, or delete operation. In the context of updating average ratings, a trigger can be configured to run after a new rating is inserted into the ratings table. This trigger would contain the necessary logic to recalculate the average rating based on the new data and then update the corresponding record with the new average.

Transaction Control Language commands manage the changes made by DML statements (like insertions), and while they don't inherently handle automatic updates, they help ensure data consistency and integrity during such transactions. Combining triggers with these commands ensures that the database remains in a valid state after modifications.

Other options do not provide the same level of automation for updating average ratings. Functions and stored procedures can be utilized to perform calculations or manipulate data, but they require explicit execution by the user or an application, lacking the automatic response to changes that triggers offer. Joins and views are primarily used for data retrieval and don’t inherently handle any data updates. Updates and selects are