An Introduction to Database Normalization (
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A database can be great fun, right? Yes, of course!
There are though, a couple things that can ruin all
that hard work and effort you put into your efficient
little database. Today we discuss how to keep that
beloved bin of data from going bad on you: database
normalization.
Call me a nerd, but I’ll never forget the elation I felt several years back when
I first succeeded in connecting a database to a Web page. At the time a newcomer
to the world of database administration, I happily began creating all kinds of
databases to store my valuable information. However, several problems soon
arose, due in large part to the techniques that I had employed when designing
the tables that were employed to store my data. The tables were becoming
increasingly difficult to maintain, with some of the data even getting
unwittingly deleted or modified! Thoroughly disgusted with the thought of losing
control of my data, I set out to learn more about the mechanics of efficient
database administration, concentrating upon a particularly important aspect
named
database normalization.
Database normalization can
essentially be defined as the practice of optimizing table structures.
Optimization is accomplished as a result of a thorough investigation of the
various pieces of data that will be stored within the database, in particular
concentrating upon how this data is interrelated. An analysis of this data and
its corresponding relationships is advantageous because it can result both in a
substantial improvement in the speed in which the tables are queried, and in
decreasing the chance that the database integrity could be compromised due to
tedious maintenance procedures.
Before delving further into the subject
of db normalization, allow me to introduce a few terms that frequently arise
when discussing this subject. To better illustrate the meaning of the respective
terms, I’ll allude to a hypothetical database which contains information about a
school scheduling system.
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