Database Normalization

TJ Racoosin
2 Dec 1998
CPCUG Access SIG

Racoosin Solutions rSolutions@erols.com 703 849-1997

 Overview
• Introductions
• The Normal Forms
• Primary Key
• Relationships and Referential Integrity
• When NOT to Normalize
• Real World Exercise
• Resources
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 Introductions
• TJ Racoosin
• You
– Are you familiar with normalization?
– Used the relationship window ? Enforce
referential integrity? Cascade Delete?
– Any issues with normalizing data?

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 Why Normalize?
• Flexibility
– Structure supports many ways to look at the data
• Data Integrity
– “Modification Anomalies”
• Deletion
• Insertion
• Update
• Efficiency
– Eliminate redundant data and save space

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 Normalization Defined
• “ In relational database design, the process of
organizing data to minimize duplication.
• Normalization usually involves dividing a
database into two or more tables and defining
relationships between the tables.
• The objective is to isolate data so that additions,
deletions, and modifications of a field can be made
in just one table and then propagated through the
rest of the database via the defined relationships.”
- Webopedia, http://webopedia.internet.com/TERM/n/normalization.html

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 Another Definition
• "Normalization" refers to the process of
creating an efficient, reliable, flexible,
and appropriate "relational" structure for
storing information. Normalized data
must be in a "relational" data structure.
- Reid Software Development,
http://www.accessdatabase.com/normalize.html

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 The Normal Forms
• A series of logical steps to take to
normalize data tables
• First Normal Form
• Second
• Third
• Boyce Codd
• There’s more, but beyond scope of
this
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 First Normal Form (1NF)
• All columns (fields) must be atomic
– Means : no repeating items in columns
OrderDate Customer Items
11/30/1998 Joe Smith Hammer, Saw, Nails
OrderDate Customer Item1 Item2 Item3
11/30/1998 Joe Smith Hammer Saw Nails
Solution: make a separate table for each set of
attributes with a primary key (parser, append query)
Customers Orders
CustomerID OrderID
Name Item
CustomerID
OrderDate Racoosin Solutions
 Second Normal Form (2NF)
• In 1NF and every non-key column is fully
dependent on the (entire) primary key
– Means : Do(es) the key field(s) imply the rest of the fields? Do we
need to know both OrderID and Item to know the Customer and
Date? Clue: repeating fields
OrderID Item CustomerID OrderDate
1 Hammer 1 11/30/1998
1 Saw 1 11/30/1998
1 Nails 1 11/30/1998

Solution: Remove to a separate table (Make Table)

Orders OrderDetails
OrderID OrderID
CustomerID Item
OrderDate
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 Third Normal Form (3NF)
• In 2NF and every non-key column is mutually
independent
– means : Calculations
Item Quantity Price Total
Hammer 2 $10 $20
Saw 5 $40 $200
Nails 8 $1 $8

•Solution: Put calculations in queries and forms

OrderDetails
Put expression in text control or in query:
OrderID
=Quantity * Price
Item
Quantity
Price
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Kumar Madurai: http://www.mgt.buffalo.edu/courses/mgs/404/mfc/lecture4.ppt
Boyce-Codd Form (3NF) - Examples
• A more restricted version of 3NF (known as
Boyce-Codd Normal Form) requires that the
determinant of every functional dependency in
a relation be a key - for every FD: X => Y, X is
a key
• Consider the following relation:
STU-MAJ-ADV (Student-Id, Major, Advisor)
Advisor => Major, but Advisor is not a key
• Boyce-Codd Normal Form for above:
STU-ADV (Student-Id, Advisor)
ADV-MAJ (Advisor, Major)
2/16/98 10
MGS 404
 Primary Key
• Unique Identifier for every row in the
table
– Integers vice Text to save memory, increase
speed
– Can be “composite”
– Surrogate is best bet!
• Meaningless, numeric column acting as
primary key in lieu of something like SSN or
phone number - (both can be reissued!)

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 Relationships
• One to many to enforce “Referential Integrity”

Two “foreign”
keys make a
A look up table - it
composite primary
doesn’t reference
key and “relate”
any others
many to many
tables

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 Table Prefixes Aid Development
– First, we’ll get replace text PK with number
– The Items table is a “look up” with tlkp prefix
– tlkp “lookup” table (no “foreign keys”)
– OrderDetails is renamed “trelOrderItem” a
“relational” table
• trel “relational” (or junction or linking)
– two foreign keys make a primary
OrderDetails
OrderID
Item trelOrderItem tblOrders
tlkpItems OrderID
OrderID
ItemID CustomerID
ItemID
ItemName OrderDate
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 Referential Integrity
• Every piece of “foreign” key data has a
primary key on the one site of the relationship
– No “orphan” records. Every child has a parent
– Can’t delete records from primary table if in related table

• Benefits - Data Integrity and Propagation

– If update fields in main table, reflected in all queries
– Can’t add a record in related table without adding it to main
– Cascade Delete: If delete record from primary table, all
children deleted - use with care! Better idea to “archive”
– Cascade Update: If change the primary key field, will change
foreign key

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 When Not to Normalize
• Want to keep tables simple so user can make
their own queries
– Avoid processing multiple tables
• Archiving Records
– If No need to perform complex queries or “resurrect”
– Flatten and store in one or more tables
• Testing shows Normalization has poorer
performance
– “Sounds Like” field example
– Can also try temp tables produced from Make Table queries

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 Real World - School Data
Student Student Previous Current
Last First Parent 1 Parent 2 Teacher Teacher
Smith Renee Ann Jones Theodore Smith Hamil Burke
Mills Lucy Barbara Mills Steve Mills Hamil Burke
Jones Brendan Jennifer Jones Stephen Jones Hamil Burke ….
Street Address City State Postal Code Home Phone
5551 Private Hill Annandale Virginia 22003- (703) 323-0893
4902 Acme Ct Annandale Virginia 22003- (703) 764-5829
5304 Gains Street Fairfax Virginia 22032- (703) 978-1083 ….

First Year Last Year Age

Program Enrolled Attended Birthday inSept Map Coord Notes
PF /0 0 6/25/93 5 22 A-3
PF 96/97 0 8/14/93 5 21 F-3
PH 96/97 0 6/13/94 4 21 A-4

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One Possible Design

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 Books
• Access97 Developers Handbook Litwin,Getz & Gilbert
– Chapter 4
• Access and SQL Server Developers Handbook
Viescas, Gunderloy and Chipman
– Chapter 2
• Access97 Expert Solutions Lezynski
– Chapter 10

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 Internet
• Papers
• http://www.mtjeff.com/~calvin/devhbook/databasedesign.html
• http://www.swin.edu.au/infotech/subjects/bt220/bt220s1.html
• http://www.bus.okstate.edu/lhammer/AISweb/Normaliz.htm
http://www.inetspace.com/database.html
• Slides
• http://www.mgt.buffalo.edu/courses/mgs/404/mfc/lecture4.ppt
• http://www.state.sd.us/people/colink/datanorm.htm
• http://www.cba.nau.edu/morgan-j/class/subtop2_3/sld001.htm

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